Catch Your Shadow
by Kurai-Tenshi of Doom
Summary: AU Cloud Strife is wandering down the street one day, when a beautiful silverhaired man with black wings falls into his lap. And if that isn't bad enough, he seems to know Cloud from...another world?
1. Chapter 1

Catch Your Shadow

Chapter One:

AN: First FF7 fic. First yaoi fic on this site. Enjoy. And nothing but the plot is mine, although I seriously would not mind if I could chain Sephiroth up in my basement for a few hours. ;) Rock on all.

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Cloud Strife was wandering aimlessly again. Ever since he broke up with that wannabe ditz Yumi, the whole school had been on his back. Even his other fully gay friends thought he was messed up. They said she was the best female love he'd ever had.

But he'd tossed her aside like so many others'. They all bored him now. Plus, being only seventeen didn't really help his maturity. He knew now for sure this sitting on the fence bisexual thing was all a farce. He'd known since third grade he was gay. Why he'd kept up this dating girl's thing, he'd never know. He supposed his confusion had made him dump her. As he lit a cigarette, the only light on the dark city street he let that be his excuse. Wandering alone was more his thing.

He never really went to school anymore. After moving from another district back in fifth grade he'd been knocked back a year because the school didn't have all his records, or they were lost or something. Oh well. Not like his academic career was going anywhere. Cloud leaned his head back, long neck gleaming in the sickly orange streetlights. He exhaled a plume of smoke, eyes closed in a euphoric way. As his mysterious dark azure eyes twinkled open he saw something that made him do a literate double-take.

Once he'd confirmed what he'd seen, he took off running in that direction, his eyes never leaving the falling figure. Silver trailed white following like a wind, as a random thing figure pelted from the sky. The fact that the person was coming head-first told Cloud he must be a jumper. Running as fast as his long legs would let him sprint he decided no one was losing a life on his watch. His cigarette long forgotten back on the sidewalk. His breathing became ragged as he determined the figure would hit the sidewalk just in front of him. He dove, and the weight that fell into his arms was light, but the impact gravity took was what made him fall, an unknown person sprawled on his lap.

It took Cloud five seconds to realize it was a man his own age laying unconscious on his lap, it took eight seconds for him to realize he was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, no matter what sex, and ten seconds to realize he was naked except a white sheet wrapped thickly around and obviously very muscular but somehow thin body.

Gulping and fighting any kind of inappropriate reaction, Cloud re-gripped the figure briskly in his arms and stood. When the man's angelic, delicate face rolled up to meet him, he saw he was breathing and alive, but very much unconscious. "Well, since I don't usually frisk naked men on the first date, I'll just make you my roomy, hmm?" he whispered, voice dripping sarcasm. The night was accelerating from his sexual clarity, to a man who looked like an angel falling naked into his lap. Cloud suddenly wished he'd dressed normally.

His outfit bugged him now. He carried the heavy, yet somehow light, man towards his apartment, praying he didn't wake up with the cheesy amnesia that always seemed to happen in manga and anime.

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Sephiroth moaned as he woke. As soon as he felt a soft futon underneath him he shot up, coverlet falling off his naked chest. He looked down and saw the slash on his chest still, but it had been bandaged. He knew it was supposed to be there, but how or why he got the wound, he had no freakin' idea. Vague memories of a chase and a fall into a black pit of pain came back to him. "You up? Do you remember how you are?" the blunt and frank question from behind him made him start again and turn around, trying not to twitch.

His breath inhaled fast, and his wounded chest hurt from his pounding heart and too fast movement. He didn't answer, attempting to find out himself. He scourged his mind. His name. He knew his name. And that was all. His brow furrowed as he stared at the fair and, quite frankly, beautiful man before him, leaning against the door frame in a baggy shirt and cargo pants that didn't match the yellow shirt that said: "All original chaos". He focused on the shirt for a moment, before the man cleared his throat and his chest heaved making Sephiroth remember the question.

"Sephiroth." His voice sounded like gravel going through a blender. He tried to clear his throat, but it was too hard. It hurt, and he tried to wet his lips, but he was too dehydrated, his spit was too sticky. The man noticed. "What a cool name. I'll get you some water." he left the small room then, and left Sephiroth slightly disordered. He eyed the room, trying to stop his thumping heart. The man's eyes! Amazing! They seemed to shoot right through him. His dehydration wasn't the only thing drying up his words. The man was a vacuum to his words.

Sephiroth shook his head, and noticed his hair flying around him. It was still bizarrely long. He remembered getting into an argument with someone about cutting it. He'd ended up laughing. Laughing seemed a dry ocean away now. He felt as if he would never do it again. The man returned with a pitcher of water. He had no cup. Sephiroth raised a fine silver eyebrow. The man smiled sheepishly. "I improvise usually." He said shrugging. Sephiroth considered this, but as the man handed him the glass pitcher, he paused only for a moment before letting the edge touch his parched lips.

Before he knew it, he was drinking like a dying man. He felt like he was trying to drown his miseries in the pitcher. "Careful!" the warning came before the blond spiky-haired man grabbed his hand and pulled the pitcher from his pursed lips. Sephiroth growled at him, having not purged his thirst, but the blond shook his head. "Drink too much and you'll die or something. Trust me okay? I am the guy who took you in not knowing who the hell you are or why you jumped off a building naked and wrapped in a bloody bed-sheet at two in the morning." "Did I ask you to rescue me?" Sephiroth demanded, voice coming back, but still raspy.

He saw the blond sit down and cross his legs, grasping his knees in large, long-fingered hands. "Look dude don't get all mad at me. All I want to know is who you are and why you have that wound. You're lucky it doesn't need stitches. Just a large scratch. It'll heal." He eyed Sephiroth. "Maybe we should get you some clothes first…" Sephiroth looked down and remembered he was naked. He felt blood rushing to his face and he pulled the coverlet up higher so his chest was covered. "Oh yeah, you know, I'm all for open-mindedness, but what's with the wings? Are you some kind of angel?" the broad and nonchalant way the blond stood up and brought up the small black wings budding from Sephiroth's back slightly threw him off.

"You…don't have them here?" he asked, confused by the question. The wings didn't seem off in his scrambled memory. The man looked to him, and seemed slightly relieved. "So they're supposed to be there then? Good answer." He sighed, and left the room. "Stay there, I don't have any fresh underwear!" he called over his shoulder. Sephiroth heard a rustling, and then a crash and a curse, a word he didn't recognize, and the blond man re-emerged grasping a pair of boxers. He threw them to Sephiroth, who caught them, cringing as the motion once again hurt his chest.

His wings flapped closed twice. He wasn't aware of it, but the blond man looked uneasy. "Uuumm…I don't have any clothes with holes in them or anything…." He trailed off and Sephiroth hid a smile. This man surely must be joking. Wings were the most basic of knowledge that he knew, and one of the most beautiful features he had. He loved his wings and found them quite normal. In fact it seemed odd for someone not to have them. "It's fine. I can make some if need be." He shrugged. The man nodded, and then seemed to remember something. "Oh yeah! My name's Cloud. Just as name-cursed as you. Call when you're done." He winked frivolously and left, closing the door sharply. Sephiroth stared after him, still unable to get over how he couldn't look into his eyes.

He felt more naked then he actually was. He threw back the coverlet and stood, pacing to the other side of the room. On the large dresser was a black baggy shirt, slightly cleaner looking then the one Cloud was wearing and a pair of baggy jeans. Obviously the boy liked baggy clothes. Why, he didn't know. He slipped on the boxers, with slight difficulty (AN: droooool….) then proceeded with the jeans and shirt. The shirt was tight on his large chest, but the jeans were much too long. The boy was shorter then him, but obviously had much longer legs. He'd noticed this when he had sat down. Sephiroth slowly walked to the door and opened it, poking his head out and letting his silver hair curtain him.

He was very used to it, his brain said. He wanted to try wracking his brain, but first he wanted food, and a very nice smell was intoxicating his senses just down the messy hallway. He was in a dingy crappy apartment. The hallway lights were off, and as he emerged Sephiroth found three wooden steps into a small square living room with a bathroom down another short hallway to the left of it, and to the right was a messy kitchen. He found the blond dancing in it, humming some tune, and bursting in a squealing guitar solo as he came to it.

Sephiroth couldn't help but like the…fun aura the man had about him. So carefree almost, innocent in a way. He envied him in a way. He cringed as the boy whirled, and the mixing spoon in his hand threw batter onto him, making his face batter coated. The man's eyes opened in surprise, and a smile lit up his strong face. "You look good in my clothes. Better then me." He seemed to ponder this for a moment. Then he shook his head. "Here, some paper towels." He handed him a roll, then turned back to the slightly smoking fry pan on the small rusted stove. He was still singing. "_Be good to yourself_…"

Sephiroth didn't recognize the tune, but then again it was in English. He saw a small table set haphazardly in-between the small counter that bordered the kitchen/living room/dining room, and took a seat at it. The chair creaked, and for a minute he feared it would break. He was bobbing his head now. Sephiroth's eyes wandered down a wide-shouldered back to a very small waist, then that really nice butt… 'Focus!' his thoughts screeched. Now was NOT the time for this.

He had just rescued him nothing more. "Do you have scissors?" Sephiroth asked, hoping the pain from his confined wings would take his mind off the beautiful features and blissful face, and very tight butt of his savior. The man, Cloud, turned to him and seemed to be thinking. Sephiroth noticed how easy it was to read his emotions in his eyes and face. He was like a book, easy to read. It was then Sephiroth noticed all the books lining bookshelves along the wall, along with a few manga. He smiled at this.

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Cloud still couldn't get over the pure ethereal effect this man seemed to have. And he had an awesome name! Sephiroth, come on, who named their kid Sephiroth? No one. Just like no one named their kid Cloud. Cloud also enjoyed the view of walking in the room and him being pretty much naked before his eyes. He bandaged him of course, his fingers maybe straying a bit too much onto flesh that felt so soft and smooth, but he hadn't seen anything more then a very fine chest.

He could definitely fall in love with his looks. He was dead ass sexy. Cloud kept singing Journey after he told Sephiroth where the scissors were. He loved Journey. He thought back to the wings. Okay, that was really weird, especially the fact that he was completely unperturbed by it. He put down his spatula as he heard Sephiroth slicing material. He sneakily looked over his shoulder, the perverted side of him hoping he'd taken off his shirt and he could see his godly body again, but much to his disappointment he'd only turned it around while still on his body. Okay, so it seemed like he had amnesia, and weird wings. Cool. Cloud again considered that he was really a fallen angel. But with black leathery wings like that he doubted it.

With the spatula down and his okonokoyaki cooking nicely he scratched his back, mind venturing to places he wasn't sure he liked. "Are you trying to claw off your skin?" the deep, waterfall-like voice made him start and abruptly realize he'd been scratching too hard and now was bleeding slightly. Why his shoulder-blades itched so much, he had no idea. A piece of his spiky hair made an interesting shadow as he flipped the pancake-like concoction. He didn't feel the pain from his nails, painted black today, but he figured the scratches would hurt soon.

His meal was finished only a short few minutes later. He turned back around to Sephiroth, happy with himself for having cooked it without error and saw the sight that took his breath away. The wings made him a silver and black angel. A Goth's wet dream. He looked like something out of a shojo manga. His eyes were staring back into Cloud's, and suddenly Cloud felt his normally so secure world spinning out of his fingertips.

Cloud looked away first and shyly gave him the meal on the plate he was carrying. Sephiroth eyed it, and then picked up the chopsticks lying unceremoniously on the table. He tucked in with less grace then his chugging earlier. Cloud smiled, hoping he was enjoying it. He got him another glass of water then sat opposite him. He thought Sephiroth wouldn't enjoy someone watching him eat, so he focused on his wings again instead. They flapped slowly and casually with no rhythm, more like rustling imaginary feathers' as he ate. He paid them no mind, and Cloud wondered if he were even controlling them. He wondered also if he could fly. They looked too small to fly with, but he felt anything could be possible now.

After the sound of Sephiroth scarfing stopped Cloud looked back to him, watching him drain the glass of water slower then the pitcher. He placed it down with a clink then wiped his mouth. "Did you like it?" Cloud asked, with sarcasm. Sephiroth looked down at the table and nodded. Cloud noticed the wings twitched it this movement. Then they flapped closed slowly and remained closed. "So who- or what- are you?" Cloud asked, hoping he didn't sound rude, although he was aware he probably did. Sephiroth still didn't look at him. "I'm…not sure." His brow furrowed as he tried to think. Cloud stopped himself from giggling. He looked so cute!

"Last I remember I was falling in this black pit, and then I woke up. Here." Cloud mulled this over. "Well, you know your name, is that all you remember?" he questioned, trying to help him with the process. "No." he seemed to think for a moment then reprimanded his answer, "My birthday's in two days." Cloud knew his eyebrows were raised. "That's all? That and that your wings are normal and perfectly average. Apparently." Sephiroth looked pitifully ashamed, but nodded.

Cloud sighed and stood. "Well, I should've known something like this would happen. It's the only thing I've never prepared for." He walked back to the kitchen and rinsed out Sephiroth's plate, the pan and re-filled his glass and brought him more water. "Do you know what a hospital is?" he was serious now, needing an answer. He didn't want the cops banging on his door, accusing him of kidnap. Then again, with the wings, it might be the government. And the last thing he needed was some tacky guy in a suit asking him where he was a night ago. "No. I take it some kind of healing facility."

Cloud tried not to seem too weirded out by his term of speech. He sounded so proper suddenly. He did have a very aristocratic look about him…Cloud shook his head, spikes flying and one falling into his face. It happened often, so he didn't try to move it. Sephiroth was looking at him again, still awaiting an answer. Cloud took a second longer to answer, if only to have an excuse to look at his pale features. "Yeah. Do you think I should take you in for the amnesia?" he wanted Sephiroth to make the decision. After all, it was his to make. He was thinking again, and Cloud tried to read some of the thoughts on his face, but the cold wall kept all emotion hidden.

He closed his eyes, and then opened them. "No. I want to stay here. I think…it will pass. I hope it will. And if it doesn't…soon, take me to a…hospital." He stumbled over the word. Cloud wanted not to read into his saying too much, but it was very hard. After all, he was the only thing Sephiroth knew right now, and a hospital might seem too foreign. Overwhelming. He nodded sagely, accepting the mature answer. Then something occurred to him. "How old are you?" Sephiroth concentrated in the cute way again, and didn't answer. His wings snapped open suddenly, as if in frustration at something.

Cloud looked to them, jumping slightly. They were hard to get used to, he'd admit. Sephiroth stood suddenly, very tall figure making a menacing shadow on the dimly-lit table. Cloud looked to the shadow, knowing that it was just shadow on his face and he wouldn't be able to see anything anyways. "Can I get some rest?" his voice even sounded cold. Cloud stood, trying not to trip. He told him to take the futon in his room. He'd take the grungy, lumpy couch. Sephiroth made no argument to Cloud getting the obviously lesser of the sleeping arrangements. Cloud liked that.

He accepted things in such a passive manner, and Cloud liked that he automatically read into his thoughts of trying to help. He accepted his sacrifice humbly. As he swiftly glided gracefully to the three shoddy wooden steps, Cloud noticed how he seemed very disturbed by something. He ignored it and wished him a silent goodnight. Adding into this he sneakily whispered to himself: "Dream of me…." Then he threw his lanky form onto the couch and tried to push the very, very green eyes from his mind. He fell asleep thinking of how soft his body had been when he'd caught it, but how he was still taller then him and much more muscular.

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AN2: Welp. That's it. So review. Okay? I guess. Consider it peer-pressure. Come on! Everyone's doing it! Reminds me of TV….

"Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life."

-Leo Buscaglia

-Kurai-Tenshi of Doom


	2. Chapter 2

Catch Your Shadow

Chapter Two:

AN: Hey y'all. I like this story. A lot. So I'm writing a new chapter without posting the first one yet. So if anyone has flamed or reviewed me, I haven't gotten it yet. But thank you to the ends of the Earth if you've nicely reviewed me. I'll try not to disappoint in this chapter. (I hope…) Wish me luck!

Disclaimer: Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries! Not mine.

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Cloud woke up on the couch the next morning and automatically remembered the silver beauty sleeping down the hall. Then he remembered the wings and he was able to forget the beauty of his eyes. He didn't want to wake him unless he was rested, and having nowhere to go since giving up on school, he decided to take a shower. He strode down his hallway stretching his body like a cat and mumbling about the pains from the lumpy couch. Tonight, he thought sneakily, he would suggest they share the futon. He cracked his neck as he turned on the shower. He stripped fast and stepped in.

After getting out, he brushed through his hair and all the spikes returned. For a moment he regretted putting in the dark blue hair dye on the tips of the spikes. Then he saw how it matched his eyes and his ego told him it was a good mistake. Plus it was only semi dye, so it would wash out soon. (AN: Mine's teal this week….)

With a towel wrapped around his waist he remembered all his clothes were in his room. He cursed in English, something he was quite proud to have learned. He peeked out the bathroom and down the hallway. His room door was shut and the aura coming from it told him to stay away. He wondered not for the first time if he'd upset his angelic stranger. His? What was he talking about?

The man was no more his then he was happy. He shook his head, determination showing on his face, and made his way commando style down his hallway. After all, he'd always been told he was overdramatic. As he jumped up at his door and hugged the door frame, arms spread out; he began to hum the James Bond theme lightly. Praying he was quiet he let his sweaty palms rest on the doorknob. As he braced himself, he took a few deep breaths then opened the door wide enough so he could barely peek inside. His body was tense, and his towel was slowly slipping down farther and farther.

Not even realizing this, he opened the door farther to get a view of his futon on the far side of the room. He was up. Cloud cursed in English again in his mind and tried not to slam the door from his jumpy reflexes. He bit his lip very hard and knew he was drawing blood. Sephiroth was facing the wall, sitting straight backed; the only sign of his being alive was his back rising slightly with his inhaling of breath. His wings were folded and limp on his back.

Cloud noticed the small cone-like tips and the sharp look of them. He tried not to loose focus. He wanted to just sneak in, but he knew he'd be caught. His dresser was on the opposite side of the room, over beige carpeted floor, past the futon where the silver-haired winged man sat. Cloud flashed a glance at him, realizing he noticed something new about him each time. This time it was that his hair was almost to his knees, which he'd observed previously, but that the hair parted over the wings, and re-met down near the small of his back. His shirt was off.

Cloud gulped, trying not to stare too much at the god-like figure and knotted muscles. He wanted to rub all the tension out of him, but knew he would never have the chance. Shaking his head and letting his wet spikes fall again into his face- more this time due to the fact that they weren't as…spiky when wet-he slid the door open just a bit farther, cringing when it made a swish on the carpet. "Oh, just come in already." Cloud froze like an ice statue as Sephiroth sighed and turned around.

His bright, almost neon eyes seemed dulled this morning, when last night they had burned in intensity. Cloud made a "heh-heh" noise, grinning and blushing slightly upon remembering he was only in a towel and this was slipping horribly. He pulled it up and looked away. "Forgot my clothes were in here." He mumbled to the carpet. Sephiroth seemed to hear him perfectly. He got up and moved cautiously around Cloud, but in a slow manner, so Cloud could take in his strong scent from his chest. Cloud still watched the ground with his spikes rebelliously blocking his view.

He knew his face must be on fire. Sephiroth showed no emotion from seeing Cloud pretty much naked. Whereas Cloud was about to burst into flames. Then he was out the door and the room felt slightly less tense. Cloud let out all his breath and hoped his heart would stop attempting to escape his chest. After some inner meditation, learned from an ancient wushu class he took when on his marital arts fling, he felt a bit calmer. He fumed at himself as he blindly pulled out some clothes from his dresser.

After slamming one of the doors too hard and having his line of CDs' falling to the ground, he cursed out loud and furiously picked them up, throwing them without care onto the dresser again. He pulled off the towel with a flourish and pulled on his pants, a pair of jeans that had holes in random places and were splashed in paint. Self-done, he was proud to brag. He was an artist. In fact his room had been remolded to fit his creative spurts. He looked up, spikes flapping back. His ceiling was a sky of colour. Literally.

He'd taken every colour he could ever think of, and in a process that had taken him three full months had the colours put aside their differences', and blend perfectly together with each other. Light and dark, they met in waves and swirls and lines. He felt himself drifting into his artistic mind again, so he pulled himself from it and grabbed a shirt off the floor. He felt a smile back on his face. He lay awake for hours letting his ceiling lull him into comfort. It spoke of everything to him right now. The lights mixing with the darks, his anger so battled by random spurts of happiness, and intense confusion over anything really.

The darks painted hard and fast saying his frustration at himself for having this confusion, and the lights painted in such a playful manner to say he always had more light in him then dark. And the shades to show…his powers. He didn't like thinking of this, so he shook it from his mind. Going back to the bathroom to try and tame hair that never would really submit to a brush he closed the door, not caring for the moment where Sephiroth was.

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Sephiroth felt his presence like a tickling. He found his hearing was rather acute. He could hear his breathing, and when he was outside the door the odd tune he was humming. He heard every fiber in the carpet parting for the door to slide over it. He heard his hitch in breathing upon seeing him, and he felt with some accuracy the sudden tension. He knew the blonde man was watching him. And he rather liked it, but he wanted to know what he wanted. He told him to come in, letting him be aware he had known he was there.

He turned around and almost went cherry red, if not for the strength of absolution in him not to be attracted to this man. He was so perfect. The thin body with all the lanky grace of a newborn fowl drew his attention too acutely, and the long legs peeking out from under the skimpy towel, which hung seductively low…he wanted to swallow from salivating, but tried desperately not to, so the blonde man didn't come onto his ruse. He mumbled something that Sephiroth heard clearly, and although tempted to watch him change and see the rest of his luxuriously tanned, delicious-looking body he resisted and got up to leave, trying to stay as distant as he could possibly muster.

It was _very_ hard. He looked away from those gorgeous eyes that matched the tips of his sagging spikes hanging so adorably in his cherub face. As he left the room he waited until he got to the bottom of the steps to let him blush and start gasping, having not taken a breath that whole time of being in the room. He straightened up fast when he heard the door to the room opening again and he sat on the lumpy couch. He tried not to deeply and obviously inhale the scent of Cloud. It reminded him of flowers and some lingering smell of paint. He'd stared for hours last night at his ceiling art. It was done so carefully and yet with such carelessness.

It was like he'd painted himself. Not his actual figure or anything, but his very soul. Sephiroth was happy to see he was a walking contradiction. He snapped from his thoughts as Cloud tramped into the room. He smiled an "Ohaiyo!" before going into the kitchen and pulling something from the refrigerator. He hummed another tune Sephiroth didn't know as he began cooking something: "I'm awaking in the New World…" (AN: Sorry, in love with L'ArcenCiel) He bobbed his head, hearing music that wasn't there.

As he stepped off to the side to let something simmer, he eyed Sephiroth over the space in between the cabinets and counter looking into the living room. "Do you remember anything else?" he asked, still slightly bobbing his head to his invisible tune. Sephiroth watched him, for lack of any less entertainment. "No…besides that today is my birthday." He saw the hesitation in Cloud, as if he wanted to ask something.

He looked so irresistible, biting his lip, eyes cast off to the side, radiating a subtle curiosity. He absentmindedly swung his spatula in his hand, letting it sway like a swing. He tightened his hold, stopping the swinging and looked back to him with a fake smile on his face. "Well, we'll have to take you out for your birthday, won't we?" Sephiroth didn't like his fake smiles. He didn't believe in lying about anything to please someone else. He was upset with himself for being so cold last night, but he for some reason felt a very painful sting in his heart when he thought of his age. He couldn't explain it, so he just let himself leave Cloud alone.

He remembered he wasn't wearing a shirt and almost blushed, but caught himself in time. He still wasn't sure why he didn't want Cloud seeing his feelings, but he had a feeling he was very bad with that kind of thing. For some reason he found feelings weak. He felt very conflicted. He decided not remembering anything about your life could be very terrifying. And he hated fear. Instincts came to him, knowledge of himself, but anything concerning who he was (besides his name and birthday) and his past or home there was nothing.

Nothing but a pain in his head that could bring him to his knees if he gave in to it. "How bout going out for dinner?" Sephiroth pulled his mind from himself and focused his eyes back on Cloud. To his delight and unease, their eyes met. The tension in the room increased and he saw something flash in Cloud's eyes. Then they widened, and he fell to the ground, crying out in pain. Sephiroth leapt over the couch reacting like a predator in the hunt. He was at Cloud's side in two seconds. He was writhing in pain, on his side. His shoulder blades went into a few spasms, before he moaned and was still.

His eyes were screwed up in pain, and he was twitching. Tremors ran over his skin, and his arms were coated in goose bumps. Sephiroth felt his pulse. Fast, but regular. Besides his shaking, and shut eyes he seemed fine. The spatula was still clenched in his hand, which was now balled in a fist. It was cutting into his skin and he saw the small trails of blood coming from the plastic biting into his skin. Sephiroth wanted to hold him until he was better, but he resisted. Why, he still wasn't sure, but he didn't, and only touched his face with long fingers.

There was cold sweat soaking his cheeks, and he felt the muscles relaxing under his touch. It was then Cloud's eyes shot open and he gasped, pushing away from him. He scrambled on his butt using his hands and arms, fear etched into every part of his face. "You…you're a fighter! A warrior! You protect the Prince, but he's gone, missing! You were sent to find him, because you love him!" then he closed his eyes and Sephiroth stood up, having seen Cloud's eyes clearly. They were neon blue. Like his.

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It had been at least an hour, and Cloud was still slightly shaken. It had started with his back hurting him, then pain that made his whole world momentarily look black. Then visions started to swirl into his head, his back momentarily forgotten. He saw himself, dressed in an odd robe, with a jeweled bracelet that ran from his wrist to his bare shoulder. It attracted his attention because of the way it looked just like a tattoo.

Then he saw the wings. Large, larger then Sephiroth's and…they looked silver. Then purple. Then red, then black again. The feathers' changed colours slowly, like a chameleon changes its' skin. (AN: Have you ever seen an iguana do it? They like get tinted. It's really cool!) He watched as a few other men walked around him, closely and protectively.

It was then he saw the room. He stood in front of a woman who was very beautiful and very smug looking. It was then someone laughed and Sephiroth entered. Cloud wanted to cry. He was in chains. They held him down, and he had numerous injuries and bruises. He looked like a trapped bird. Cloud knew just then that Sephiroth had committed some great crime and was going to be killed. On trial. He was Cloud's guard. His personal guard. Then he felt an odd feeling on his cheek, and his eyes opened meeting shining green ones' that seared his memory, except last he'd seen those eyes they were shining with fear and anger of betrayal.

He had let Sephiroth help him to the couch and had let the tall, powerful man listen to his instructions to make tea for him in a mug. He did it with clumsy precision, and it tasted a little different, but it calmed him down, and warmed him up more then physically. The apartment was normally cold, but this cold was in is soul.

After sipping and shaking for a few more moments, he finally placed the cup down on his dilapidated coffee table and sat back in the couch. "I…get visions like this sometimes." Cloud took the first stab at Sephiroth's closed silence, feeling a need to explain, no matter how disturbed he was by his visions. "They come in my dreams. It's odd how I feel like I've been there, I see myself, and they seem so real…maybe…where ever you're from you're from too. And maybe we knew each other." He felt like a fool for saying anything. And yet he wanted Sephiroth to laugh at him and tell him he was insane for saying anything at all.

He wanted him to call him insane and to run out of his apartment. But instead he whispered: "I knew it was you." Cloud looked up to him, and Sephiroth looked directly at the far wall. He saw in him it took as much effort to even bring it up. But he had convinced him that he could be right. Unless he was. Cloud stood. "Who are you?" Sephiroth still didn't look at him. "I'm your protector." He said in a very bland manner.

Cloud wanted to slap him, if it made him show some emotion. "How do you know? I mean, do you remember anything?" Sephiroth frowned. "No. But it feels right." cloud shook his head. "That doesn't mean anything." It was then he smelt the smoke. "Damn! Didn't you turn off the stove!" he shouted at Sephiroth as he bolted to the kitchen.

The pan was in flames, and Cloud grabbed the bucket randomly lying in the middle of the floor and filled it with only a bit of water. He splashed it on the fire. It didn't go out, but it flickered. It was then he heard Sephiroth behind him whisper an odd word in a different language. He realized he understood what he'd said. "Water." Cloud felt his mouth falling open as a ball of water, the size of his fist appeared over the flames and then exploded over them splashing him and the walls.

The flames went out. He whipped around to Sephiroth. "What the fuck was that!" he swore in Japanese this time, and Sephiroth understood it. His eyes narrowed to angry slits. "I put out the fire. It's called water." Cloud threw down the bucket, all his confusion and frustration coming out in a string of curses and then some screaming at Sephiroth. "I now it was water! I mean how did you do that? And what language was it in? What are you? Why did you have to fall into my life? Why not bother someone else?" He regretted it as soon as he'd said it.

It's not like the poor man could pick whose arms he'd fallen into. He sighed and ran his hands through his spikes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm just…confused." He let his eyes flicker. He heard a mumbled "its okay." from Sephiroth. "No it isn't. I shouldn't be yelling at you. I mean my life has pretty much been a puzzle, and no one's really sure where I came from. And now here's someone who…might know. And I just got scared. I'm sorry." He felt like crying.

It wasn't a very manly thing to do, but Cloud was completely unashamed of his feelings. He was a very emotional person. So what? He wouldn't look at Sephiroth. "I'm sorry, really. How bout you take a shower? I'll get you some clothes, those look rumpled, and you can change and we'll go out for some grub? Okay? Showers always clear my mind, maybe they'll help you." He smiled again, but he knew Sephiroth could tell it was fake.

Sephiroth watched him in a contemplative way for a moment, before nodding in agreement. Cloud mentally sighed in relief, and led Sephiroth down the hall, showing him how to set up the shower and getting him more clothes. This time he picked an old tank-top he never wore and a pair of raggedy jeans that he sewed patches of different materials into the many small and big holes. The legs were too short since his growth spurt a few moths ago. He looked up to Sephiroth and smiled, this time genuine. "Good luck. And wash that hair of yours'. It's too gorgeous to be dirty." He winked and left Sephiroth blushing slightly.

He closed the door, and once he heard the water running he went back into his room. He closed the door, and not caring about Sephiroth coming back he turned on his stereo, and put in a mix CD his old girlfriend Ayeiaka had made him. He sighed as the first song, a favorite, Hitomi no Junin (AN: Sorry. Earlier mentioned L'Arc freak) by L'ArcenCiel blared out. Upon thinking for another minute he cranked the volume and belted out the lyrics he knew. He let the music take his mind far, to some realm within himself.

He played out the guitar passionately. That's why he loved music, because it met him escape and put him in a mood nothing else ever could. Well, he thought again, probably besides sex. But that was different. He never felt connected like he did in music. He threw himself onto his bed on his back; arms spread like wings and let Hyde's eccentric voice take him away. That's how Sephiroth found him.

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Sephiroth stepped from the shower and after drying off, and using odd little stick devices to clean some ear-wax from his ears he heard music. It was loud, and the pounding and thumping of it went right through him like a wave. He frowned and dressed quickly. The song changed as he walked down the hallway and found Cloud spread out on his bed. He listened to the beginning of the song, liking the sad, mournful feeling to it.

He walked over to Cloud slowly, the music almost cracking his sensitive eardrums. He leaned over him, and the bliss on the blonde and blue haired man's face made him want to kiss him until the end of time. A line from the song stuck with him in his mind.

"_Kimi dake o…mitai…_

_Last Secret Garden…_

_Kimi dake o…_"

(AN: You'll win my un-dying respect if you can name this song! Tell me in a review!)

He wanted to smile, but he felt it to be the wrong moment. He leaned closer, inhaling Cloud's sweet scent that hung around the whole apartment. A new song started the violin mournful again. Sephiroth let the music penetrate the silence left from the beauty of the last song and listened. As the chorus came on he listened, amused. It spoke of unrequited love:

"_Watashi wa ima Les Miserables…_

_Todokanai kono omoi dake_

_Tooiki no nisete…_"

(AN: More undying respect, if you know this one. I'll give you Skittles, so you too, may taste the rainbow!)

It was a good song. As it ended, Cloud sighed and moved to sit up. The sudden movement surprised Sephiroth. Cloud sat up fast, and Sephiroth leaning over him made them smack into each other. Lips met in a very confused manner, and as soon as Sephiroth felt Cloud's very soft and warm lips on his own, he knew he'd never sleep until he tasted them again. Cloud pulled away first, shock written all over his delicate features. He scrambled away, as he had before in the kitchen, gasping.

He pointed an accusing finger at him, and then the trembling fingers moved to his trembling lips feeling them. "What the hell are you doing!" he shouted. Sephiroth stared dead-pan at him. "You just kissed me!" he cried again, this time standing on his bed, now towering over Sephiroth. Sephiroth turned away. "_You_ kissed me." He argued, crossing his arms. He heard Cloud scoff. "Well that's a pathetic excuse. If you wanted to kiss me, you should've told me, instead of stealing one!" Sephiroth wheeled around, anger making his cheeks mottle red. "Oh please! Don't be so full of yourself!" Cloud looked taken aback for a moment, obviously not used to this much emotion from him.

He smirked and closed his eyes, crossing his arms as well. "Well look at me! I have good reason don't I?" Sephiroth scoffed this time. "Oh please! Giraffe-legs! Who are you trying to attract with those legs? A horse?" Cloud flushed this time, embarrassed. "Well, tell me when the birds start flocking in to ask for your hand in marriage bird boy!" (AN: MM's for anyone who can tell me how to say giraffe-legs and bird boy in Japanese!) He seemed pleased with himself, but Sephiroth spread his wings.

Cloud's eyes widened. They were getting larger. Soon they went from the size of his elbow to shoulder to his whole arm. Then the size of his legs. He stopped their growth, and let Cloud be intimidated. He was obviously in awe. He been nice enough to think ahead and cut holes in the new tank-top, black so it matched his wings, and now the fabric was ripping again as he grew new muscles to accommodate the growth in wing-span.

The small ripping noises snapped Cloud out of his awe. "Hey! That's my good tank-top!" he cried, looking angry. Sephiroth sighed. He really was a blonde. (AN: no offense to blondes, just using this to my advantage.) He jumped off his bed and glared up at him. "Put those away and let me stitch that shirt up now! This is my…apartment and darn it, I won't let you boss me around!" Sephiroth looked blankly back at him. "All right." he answered, knowing it infuriated the boy that he didn't care. Cloud nodded, emphasizing his point.

Sephiroth shrunk his wings, having it take almost no effort for him. He knew how big they could get. Knowledge that just came to him naturally. All his instincts, once again, were intact. And, he knew as this sort of instinct, Cloud had just clumsily, on accident, stolen his first kiss. He wasn't sure how he felt about this. He wished it had come in a better way; a better moment. But it hadn't, and now his first kiss was gone to this blonde angel. It wasn't as eloquent as he thought it was supposed to be. "Sephiroth, give me the shirt."

He focused again on Cloud and saw the man had procured from nowhere a sewing kit. He obeyed and slipped off his shirt, feeling only a bit embarrassed. Cloud didn't look at him; he only snatched the shirt and plopped down with his legs crossed, using his knees to rest the sewing kit and the slightly ripped shirt. "Is that as small as they go?" he asked, distracted slightly by threading a needle with black thread. "I can bring them into my back, so they disappear." He didn't mention how painful this is to do, and that he hated to do it. It made him feel confined.

Cloud threaded it, looked very pleased, then looked up to him, suddenly serious. "Well, I want to take you out to dinner. Would you be willing to do it?" Sephiroth wanted to say no, but he was looking up at him in a way that made him nod reluctantly. He decided for him, he would do it. Cloud made a squeaking noise and focused again on threading the needle. His face took on that sweet, innocent concentrative look Sephiroth decided he liked so much. It took him a whole of ten minutes to get the holes in the shirt from gaping holes to small tears.

He gave it back to Sephiroth who held it for a moment without putting it on. "Will I wear this?" he asked. Cloud looked up to him while zipping up the checkered and battered sewing kit. "I have some extra money…we can go shopping if you'd like." He seemed to brighten at this idea. Sephiroth was confused with the word shopping, but agreed, if he could pick some regular clothes. Preferably something tighter. He hated baggy clothes, obviously unlike Cloud, whose clothes hung off of his lanky form. Why he didn't want to show it off was beyond the silver-haired man.

He remembered suddenly, that where he was from, tight clothes showed your level of wealth. This odd fact came so suddenly, it frightened him slightly. Cloud thumped his hands on the ground and tossed the bag over his shoulder with a clear shot into the dark depths of his closet. "Let me find you a jacket, and if you can pull in your wings. We'll go shopping!" he shot up and strode from the room leaving Sephiroth slightly frazzled.

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Cloud hummed to himself as he pranced down his hallway. He stopped at his closet and yanked open the door. It cranked and creaked echoing through the whole apartment. He heard something crash in his room, then a curse from the deep, enticing voice of Sephiroth. He laughed, pulling a ragged jacket off the hanger and taking time to pick out a nice black leather thigh-length coat for Sephiroth.

He eyed it, knowing the silver-haired man would look like something out of an Anne Rice novel. (AN: By the Goddess, I love her…) he sighed again, dreams taking him far away. The kiss had been accidental, but those lips! So smooth and strong. He would love to feel them all over his body. Cloud blushed a little and giggled again. His mind trailed other places to his old boyfriend Aki. He (and one or two one-night stands who were girls) had dumped Cloud after a month, really tearing his heart in two saying Cloud was too immature and happy. Too giggly. Maybe he was. But this was just the way he acted.

He hoped he didn't annoy Sephiroth. After all, he had a very dark side too. After shaking his head and pushing away some wetness in his eye from thinking of Aki's betrayal, he left the closet door open and went back to his room. He thought of his money situation. He was lucky for his past history. He'd been abandoned by a young mother who had died in childbirth without speaking of who his father was. He'd stumbled into an orphanage a few years after living in the streets and had been adopted by a rich family.

They'd claimed he was theirs' and his street life and background was easily erased. After lying to him all this time and eventually tiring of him, Cloud decided it was time to move out. They agreed, not really caring either way, and sent him way more then enough money to live off of forever and then some. But Cloud refused to be spoilt, so he tried to work (although he was out of a job now) for his rent and food, but he used their money for frivolous things when he was short. Like right now. And after all, it wasn't really being spent on him, right? Right. He opened the door quickly and found Sephiroth sprawled on his futon panting horribly.

He ran over to his side. "What's wrong?" he asked. Sephiroth eyed him, recovering enough to stand and look him straight in the eyes. Two prick points of blood trailed down his back. Cloud's eyes widened. "It's nothing." Sephiroth said firmly. Cloud nodded, knowing if he asked more, he would never get an answer. He handed him the coat. "Here. For you. You can keep this; it doesn't look good on me." Sephiroth took it and left the room, walking carefully around Cloud. He heard the rustle as Sephiroth put it on. He took a deep breath and looked to his futon.

There were two small points of blood exactly where his wings had been earlier. Cloud shrugged, and let the mysterious man keep his odd secrets. He met him near the door. He looked different with his wings gone. He was pulling his hair out of the coat. It was still slightly wet from his shower, but was drying quickly. The strands shimmered in a very mist-like fashion. Cloud wanted to run his fingers through it, but resisted. He noticed in the sunlight bathing the apartment in sun and shadows his hair glimmered in the light and showed what looked like a few golden strands.

He looked away from his hair, and told him to wait a second. He went back to his room, grabbed a hair-tie and brought it back to Sephiroth. He would look suspicious walking around with hair almost down to his feet. He told him to tie it back. Sephiroth eyed him like he was mad. Cloud sighed, exasperated. He tried to remember that Sephiroth was new to this….world, perhaps, and probably never put his hair up.

He told him to let him do it, and trying not to seem too affected he collected the hair in a very fragile manner into his hand. He was amazed that it felt as silky as it looked. As he pulled it back he could see the back of Sephiroth's strong neck. He wanted so badly to lean in and kiss it. So mesmerized was he, that it took a slight yelp of pain from Sephiroth to wake him up and realize he was yanking on his hair. He laughed, trying to make it seem an accident he had meant to happen.

He re-looped the tie, and grabbed the second he'd taken as a precaution off his wrist, trying not to get ensnared again. It took him only a few moments then he was done, and with a resentful sort of movement he dropped the hair which was now in a loose bun. A shorter strand, which made up one of the two bangs that dropped into his face perfectly, found its way out and rested as it usually did. Damn, he was beautiful! Cloud shook his head and smiled at him, twisting the doorknob and comparing it to the softness of his hair. It didn't even compare.

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AN2: Well, I've posted the first chapter at this point thanks to Devo's hounding. P no, I love her. And eternal thanks, as mentioned, to my first reviewers:

Will's Girl: Aww...how cute! Thank you for the nice positive review!

Kiki-sama: Wow. I stand corrected. Uumm...I feel really bad for that kid. Was it supposed to be from the game? Or just a random name they picked? Poor, poor child.

Darkmaster2: Once again all positivity rules!

RuByMoOn17: Kyaaa! You're soooooo cute! pats on head

Devo: I know, I love you too. I want you in my pants...again.

Okay, I hope you like it, and actually I wanted it to be muuuuuuuuuch longer, but I figure I'll save it for the third chapter, which I will be writing in a few moments. Wish me luck! And I hope there to be a real kiss sometime very soon. And tell me those songs in your review!


	3. Chapter 3

Catch Your Shadow

Chapter Three:

AN: Howdy. How's it uh…goin? Yeah. Good here too. So…I really was in the mood to write this, because all I've been doing lately is school work and listening to L'arc (big on them right now for some reason) and GLAY and I'm defying the rules I've laid for myself to be focused, and am writing a new chapter. Although all my CCS fans are going to lynch me for not writing a new chapter…if they can catch me! I must flee!

Disclaimer: Will thumb-wrestle for ownership of Sephiroth! Specially his wardrobe…

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"So…what is shopping?" Sephiroth asked. He seemed reluctant to ask. Cloud grinned devilishly. "I'm going to have so much fun dressing you…" he whispered sinisterly. (AN: Sephie right now: Oo) Sephiroth seemed less put at ease with this, and only slid farther in the taxi seat. The cars were new to him, but everyone else had seemed unaffected, so he decided to act casual. It was hard, because all these random things out the window kept attracting his attention.

'What an odd place!' he found himself thinking. Bright lights, loud noises, large billboards and advertisements everywhere….he could get lost in all the crowds of people milling around. Cloud was humming as he twisted a piece of his hair around his finger. He saw the tense Sephiroth and smiled at him. "Oh, calm down! We're only going to get you some clothes! It's called shopping. And this, this is Tokyo. Lots of bright lights and lots of people. You should get used to it." Sephiroth eyed him like he was mad. Cloud seemed to be aware he was asking a lot, because he laughed after he said it.

Finally the driver pulled off the curb and Cloud got out then opened the door for Sephiroth. He dug deep into his jeans pockets and extracted a wallet in the shape of a large jet plane. He paid the driver, then thanked him and pulled Sephiroth into the crowd. Sephiroth suddenly didn't care anymore. Cloud was holding his hand. All his attention in his body focused to his hand and he felt like warm shivers were running through his body from that spot.

He barely realised where he was being led, which is why when Cloud stopped it surprised him and he had to try not to trip. Cloud was smiling happily up at the store sign before he winked at Sephiroth and dragged him inside. Sephiroth eyed the large doll-like things in the front window. They were wearing some odd clothes. The inside was speck-clean and very shiny. The lights reflected the floor like a mirror.

Sephiroth had a very bad feeling already. Cloud left him sitting in a large plush, but uncomfortable chair and told him not to move. He set out into the store like a hound on a scent. Sephiroth sat back and tried to ignore the stares from people around him and the many giggles of the girls that passed by him shyly. For some reason, none really looked as pleasing to him as his blonde angel who had disappeared completely.

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Cloud was happily dancing nimbly through the men's clothes looking for things for Sephiroth. He figured the broad-shouldered man had a size bigger then him in shirts and a size less in pants. After all, Cloud thought dejectedly, the silver beauty wasn't a kirin-ashi (AN: I learned how to say it trillion upon one thanks to the reviewer! You're mentioned below!) like him. He giggled as he found a jacket he knew the tori-shonen (AN: I love you so much….) would like. He whipped it off the rack. A few people near by looked at him oddly, but he didn't care. This was one of the only stores he'd never been kicked out of before, and he wanted to keep it that way for now. (AN: As of last week, I have officially been kicked out of every shoe store in my city….please don't ask…--) After awhile he remembered he'd left Sephiroth completely unarmed and inside a store of high fashion crawling with pretty girls. He saw a small crowd where he'd left him, and he panicked.

Pushing between two girls who were whispering and pointing he found Sephiroth looking very frazzled surrounded by a group of admirers. Sephiroth wanted to laugh it him because he looked so ridiculous all hunched up and looking ready to attack the next person that looked at him funny. He grabbed his wrist making him jump and pulled him away from the crowd. "Attracting quite a lot of attention, eh, tori-shonen?" he giggled as Sephiroth glared at him and flushed. "What was wrong with those people!" he demanded, looking completely flabbergasted. "Well, you see, in this store you often get a lot of movie stars and such….and in Tokyo beauty is a big thing…" he let it trail off, hoping Sephiroth would catch the hint. "So!" he yelled again.

Cloud sighed. "You're so dense! And you just happen to be very attractive! I mean, come one, long silver hair, practically neon eyes, of course people are going to want to stare at you." He mumbled the rest and dropped Sephiroth's hand, embarrassed at having to say all that. He didn't answer, but when Cloud found him the dressing rooms, he went in without protest. "Let me see what it looks like, okay?" Cloud shouted over the dark black curtain. A muffled affirmative met his ears.

He smiled and took another rigid chair. He looked over his shoulder and saw two shy girls poking their heads through the curtain. He smiled at them in a way he knew would make them flush. It did, much to his satisfaction. "This is the men's sweetie. Girls' is that way." he pointed and turned his back to them again.

He heard them arguing for a moment over who should talk then a black haired girl stepped forward. She cleared her throat, but Cloud purposefully ignored her. She cleared her throat louder and Cloud turned back around, acting surprised. "Umm…did that man just come in here?" she asked, pretty green eyes flashing, daring him to deny it. Cloud shrugged. "Yeah." He said simply. "Do you know him?" she asked next. Cloud stood and took a step towards her. "Course. He's staying at my place."

He let her find the implication, and when she did her eyebrows shot up. "Oh. Okay." She sounded slightly disappointed. "Listen, he'll get mad at me but…you can watch him model this stuff I picked out." Cloud giggled happily.

The girl seemed to warm up to him. Her eyes widened. "Really?" she asked hopefully. He nodded and she ushered her friends in. they took the last few seats all watching the same cubicle Cloud was. He waited for Sephiroth to come out.

It took a few more moments before he stepped from the booth with Cloud's creation. He looked absolutely furious, then when he saw the squealing girls he went deathly pale. "You…" But Cloud wasn't paying attention to him. He was openly gawking at him. He'd picked some silly things, knowing in the end Sephiroth was the type to run off and get his own clothes, so he may as well have some fun, but what he saw before him was….well, he'd picked a over dress kind of thing, it slid over the whole body like a glove, ending just at the breast-bone and underneath was the white frilly shirt. It zipped up front. The leather reflected in the light. Sephiroth looked like some kind of Gothic sex-slave.

He seemed to become aware suddenly of Cloud being blown away in his seat because his cheeks tinted slightly and he hid from the girls who were fawning over him as well. He knew why Cloud had done this. It was all for fun. Cloud watched the man slide back inside the booth and heard the zipper pulling down. He had a very strong image of himself doing it with his teeth. His mind was too hazy to think. Sephiroth drove him insane. He knew if he looked that good in something that odd, then all the other half-cosplay half not outfits he'd picked with an almost Victorian look to them would blow his mind. (AN: You cannot begin to imagine how much fun I'm having. Come on, like you would pass a chance like this up, especially all the leather and cosplay stuff….droooool)

The next outfit was worse. And he suspected Sephiroth was aware of his effect on him. The shirt was sheer and black setting off his hair so perfectly, his godly figure made Cloud almost want to drool. It clung to him and enunciated every small muscle in his stomach. The pants were a tight leather material and they still managed to hang in just the right places.

As he stepped from the dressing room a newcomer Cloud hadn't noticed called for him to turn. Sephiroth looking confused did, and everyone ooh-ed and aah-ed. The crowd around his dressing room began to swell. Cloud tried not to place the description to himself, but he found he'd never been more attracted to anyone.

Just the powerful aura that hung around Sephiroth, the cold feel of him, the way he could still be so helpless, the knowing and dark intelligence in his neon eyes that he found he could get completely sunken in….Cloud caught himself and shut his gaping mouth, hoping and praying he wasn't falling in love. It felt like it was inevitable if he was, but he refused to admit it to himself. Falling in love was not an option for him right now. Why? Well, he had plenty of reasons for not wanting to fall in love….sure he couldn't think of any right now, but there were a lot of reasons. Yeah there were plenty of reasons. Or was he just convincing himself?

He shook his head and his brain cleared from its lust haze. He stood up fast and moved around the group of people clustering around and giving Sephiroth his own runway show. He walked fast out of the changing room, not sure why he felt upset. Sephiroth's eyes followed him out.

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He pushed around the other people who all cried for him to come back. But he didn't care. All that mattered was Cloud right now. He'd seen the man openly gawking at him. He knew the look in his eyes, having seen it many times before. From a long time ago, in a far away place. It was lust that shined brightly and smoldering in his eyes. It made his stomach jump and his heart pound on his ribcage. He could see the effect he was having on him.

He checked his outfit and was pleased with the tight black jeans and the black light material, long-sleeved, with only the first two buttons closed. The shirt flew open as he paced to find Cloud and his pale stomach peeked out from underneath the low-cut jeans. His hair had long since been pulled down free from its bun when shouted out by a man in the audience.

He saw Cloud walking out the door into the street. He called his name, knowing he couldn't leave with the clothes on. Once again, an instinct he couldn't place. Cloud heard him and turned, but when he saw him his face coloured. Sephiroth pointed to his clothes letting him see he couldn't leave. Cloud seemed to think for a moment, then turned back and stood next to him watching the ground with the same adorable look that he was holding something back that he wanted to say or ask.

He seemed to be teetering on the edge of saying something until he shook his head and mumbled that they should pay for what he wanted and go to dinner. Or something unintelligible like that. Sephiroth decided to make the action for him. Ignoring everything in his head that screamed at him he grabbed Cloud's hand and brought it to his lips.

He felt Cloud freeze and tense up before his lips touched honeyed skin and he had the sensation that he'd done this before. Many times. He didn't want to pull away, but he did. And he looked into Cloud's eyes. His heart was still pounding in his chest, but slower now and more relaxed. He saw the lust still there in his eyes, but now the sharp, pointed eyes were opened into a wide-eyed enraptured manner. "Let's go to dinner." Sephiroth whispered.

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Cloud was still flustered in the taxi almost a half-hour later. A single shopping bag lay on the floor of the cab. Sephiroth had kept the long-sleeved shirt and low-cut black jeans, but now he had a hematite ring and a black jewel bracelet. (AN: Sorry, having too much enjoyment from this not to make it cheesy…) Cloud was completely amazed by him still. Even after seeing him like this for awhile now. He truly looked like something off a run-way. Cloud felt almost plain in comparison.

His hand still tingled and those smooth lips were still implanted on his memory. He could still see his smooth stomach. He was so pale! So perfect, so muscular- Stop it! Cloud scolded himself. By Kami, he just wanted to kiss the pale man till he smothered. But he resisted for a new fear birthed in him. He felt so unworthy of him. And the way all those people had just fawned over him…Cloud shook his head. He was being dumb. He'd always been incredibly comfortable with his looks, and now was not the time to start beating himself up.

He decided to settle on carefully hidden awe. Sephiroth was still gazing out the window like an amazed child in a candy shop. Cloud smiled to himself. "Do you remember restaurants?" he asked, and Sephiroth whipped to face him. With the long silver hair falling like a thick curtain into his face and the neon lights paling in comparison to his eyes Cloud felt his heart palpitating in his chest. He gulped, hoping it wasn't obvious.

So he was….godly beautiful? That didn't mean Cloud had to act like a horny school girl! (AN: AKA me….ha-ha…) Sephiroth shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "I was always served." Cloud knew he was remembering something- the glassy gleam suddenly in his eyes was enough of a give-away- and he saw the cab driver, obviously eavesdropping, give Sephiroth an odd look in the rearview mirror. Cloud grinned sheepishly at him. He rolled his eyes at his smile and focused back on the road.

Sephiroth was long gone, receded into his mind again, so Cloud had to whistle to snap him out of it when they reached the restaurant. He shut his eyes and when he opened them all the apathy and seriousness was back. Cloud handed the driver the money with a hefty tip and watched him speed away.

He faced Sephiroth. "Remember something?" he asked, serious for once. Sephiroth turned away and let his hair swish to answer Cloud's question. Cloud shrugged, taking the passive road again and motioned for Sephiroth to follow him inside. The restaurant was a dimly-lit affair, with pulsing techno music that made Cloud feel slightly drugged, and all black tables and booths. The food was really good, and very expensive. Once or twice it had been claimed that Gackt ate here.

Cloud didn't care, he liked the atmosphere. Like a club without dancing, and really good food. The hostess did a double-take when she saw them. Cloud smirked. She must think Sephiroth was a model. This place was supposed to crawling with top-designers and the such.

He asked for a booth in the corner and whistled again so Sephiroth would stop dazing into space and follow them. He slid into the booth and after the hostess had left, still giving Sephiroth sneaky glances as he sat down awkwardly. Cloud couldn't help but laugh as he picked up the menu in the shape of a tie-dyed triangle. "Relax. See, a waiter or waitress comes and we order food. And they bring it to us." A sudden thought struck him as Sephiroth picked up the menu and precariously opened it. "Can you read kanji?" he asked.

Sephiroth looked up at him over the large menu. He looked as if he wanted to smile, but instead said: "Yes. I am well-versed in many languages, whether my own or not." Cloud spat out his tongue at him. "So high and mighty, eh?" he rolled his eyes as Sephiroth smugly went back to reading the menu.

Cloud knew he had questions. He could see it in the silver-haired man's eyes. He waited for him to ask. "What's udon?" Cloud burst out laughing. He triumphantly smirked as Sephiroth glowered. "Me one, you one." He said, keeping score in his mind. He then proceeded to tell Sephiroth everything on the menu in perfect detail.

"Excuse me, sir?" Cloud looked up at the man addressing Sephiroth. Sephiroth didn't look at him only nodded. The man looked only more confident. Cloud went on defensive. What did he want, approaching them like this? "I represent Midgar fashions. I was wondering if you would be willing to model for us." It was so blunt; it didn't register in Cloud's mind for another full minute. Then it hit. "Midgar fashions? You guys are like the leaders in the fashion industry!" The man looked to him flashing very white teeth. "Name's Rufus. Rufus Midgar." Cloud's eyes were practically bugging out of hiss head.

The founder of Midgar Fashions was standing before them. And Cloud could see why everyone raved about his good looks. He let his eyes slide over the man in front of them for a moment. Sephiroth was still focusing on his water glass. Hair that was primarily red, but tinted orange with some auburn high-lights, tall trim figure, nicely set features and a winning smile. "No." Sephiroth stated, quite plainly. He didn't even try to sugar-coat it.

Rufus's smile never even faltered. "Well, if you're not signed on with anyone, give me a call. You would be more then perfect for my new line of fantasy outfits. Give me a call." And with long fingers, nails painted dark crimson to match his snake-skin jacket and black shirt with red slacks; he flicked a card on the table. He gave Sephiroth an extra smile, this time more of a hit-on then a winning smile and left. Two men tagged along. Body-guards Cloud realised eyes widening.

Sephiroth took a sip from his water glass, completely unperturbed. Cloud however was practically about to explode. "Do you know who that was!" he almost screamed. Then he remembered. Sephiroth wouldn't know, would he? "No. And I don't care. I'm not going to…"model" or whatever he called it. I only want my memories back." Cloud sighed, exasperated. "Well, that was an honour." He whispered. "And that Rufus was a pretty thing wasn't he?" Sephiroth didn't answer, and something in Cloud twinged. He looked almost guilty for the fact that he may have had an answer. Cloud sulked over their food.

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They were walking back to Cloud's apartment. It had been his idea. Sephiroth wasn't really paying attention. He was wondering why Cloud had been so quiet. He hoped he hadn't upset his blonde angel. He watched him now, as his long legs weaved around people. He tried to keep up, but almost stumbled. His mind was elsewhere. Vision that he ascertained as memories were coming to him more frequently. Mostly of Cloud. He knew enough now to know he wasn't of this world. And he knew Cloud wasn't either.

They had known each other before, but something had happened and Sephiroth had been exiled from his kingdom. He knew it was a kingdom from the castle that always appeared in his head when he thought of home. He also knew he was a warrior, sworn to a Goddess of something he knew only as the Lifestream. (AN: Sorry, is it one word?) Somehow he remembered most vaguely of being sworn to chastity. Why he remembered this so strongly was beyond him. It seemed an important factor for some reason.

He bumped into someone rather hard and was jostled. He knew as well that he had been a prince's protector, one of the most sacred positions that existed in his kingdom. He had a vague feeling Cloud was the prince…but he remembered how badly Cloud had been shaken up when it had even been brought up earlier and he had remembered something as well form this other kingdom. He didn't want to upset him. But the feelings he felt ran deeper then his own mystery. He wanted to name them, but found it impossible.

He bumped into someone else and looked up, finding blonde spikes only a bit ahead of him. He tilted his head down and tried to keep up. The blonde was as dazed as him, walking pell-mell, but with long-legged grace, through the crowds of people. He seemed to have forgotten Sephiroth was there. He knew magic. He remembered that. The water spell he'd used in Cloud's kitchen had come so perfectly, so naturally, it had taken him almost no thought.

The language had slipped like a well-fit glove onto his tongue, and it was out before he'd had time to consider anything. It had cost him a bit of energy and winded him for a moment though. He'd seen scenes in his mind….scenes of him and Cloud. Cloud sitting on a large four-poster bed, king-size, with crimson sheets and dark blue hangings.

He was wearing a very long coat-like thing that reached his feet and closed over his entire body like a husk. Somehow Sephiroth knew he wore black shorts under it. The jacket's collar met his cheeks. And the bracelet winding up his arm was sign of his position. As prince. On his small neck nestled a dark black stone. And his wings were feathered, unlike Sephiroth's own, and were currently white tinted red at the majestic tips. His hair was sleeked down. Not the usual spikes.

Sephiroth was watching him, concealed behind a doorway. But he had a suspicion Cloud knew he was there. He looked so lost and so absolutely stunning…Sephiroth wanted to hold him tight and never let go. But every voice in his head had screamed that it would break his code of chastity and oath to never fall in love. Lust was an enemy of the armed warriors for the Goddess of the Lifestream, who the king and family, including Cloud, were descended from.

Cloud whispered something and a small flame blew into life in mid-air. He blew on it, and it extinguished, leaving a cloud of smoke. He watched it intently for a few seconds before it started to take form of a heart in a wavering way. If Sephiroth hadn't been searching for the shape it would've been too shaky to find. Sephiroth knew what he was saying. He felt it in his very core. A yearning for something he could never, ever deserve or have.

Cloud dropped all pretenses and looked directly at him. His neon blue eyes burned with the intensity of a small sun. And the look of lust Sephiroth had felt was so familiar back in the store was there, burning deep.

Cloud threw his keys onto the counter-top when they got back. He finally looked to Sephiroth. "You should do it. Modeling I mean. After all, money's running kinda short and I hate to use the stuff my rents' send." Sephiroth felt right then Cloud could've asked him to grab him the moon and he would've. He grabbed a pair of scissors off the same counter next to the keys and unbuttoned the shirt. He saw Cloud turn away modestly, and smiled mentally.

He cut the holes as he mulled it over. Slipping the shirt back on, he asked: "What's modeling?" Cloud, checking to see he was dressed first, turned back around and smiled. "Well, remember in the store when all those people were admiring you, and you were showing all the clothes?" Sephiroth nodded. "Like that, but they take photo's of you and make you wear a lot more stuff. And lots of people see it." Sephiroth didn't like the sound of it at all. Beauty was not something he coveted within himself.

"Do you need me to do this?" Cloud eyed him. "Oh, don't get me wrong, don't do it unless it sounds interesting to you. But it would help slightly….anyways, you may go and they may just dismiss you automatically." He sounded reluctant to have even mentioned it. Sephiroth said carefully: "I'll think about it. Do you work?" he asked him, feeling for an idea of how badly Cloud needed him to do it. "Used to, but right now I'm out of a job, which is why money is so scarce at the moment." Sephiroth had a basic idea of the sense of exchange in this world, but it seemed a little too important. It appeared as if money ruled the world. Something that important….Sephiroth decided to ponder it during the night.

Cloud moved around him stretching his arms above his head. Sephiroth caught himself from watching the tan skin poke out from under his shirt. "Did you ever play an instrument?" Sephiroth eyed Cloud, confused momentarily. "What?" he mumbled. "Do you remember playing an instrument? I mean, I read somewhere, in some medical journal or something, that with amnesia you need to try and find something the person learned and enjoyed. Then it helps the memory come back faster. It's like subconscious or something." Sephiroth scanned his brain. "I don't think so…" He trailed off, not able to bring anything up from the murky depths of his mind.

Cloud sighed. "That's okay." He shrugged. "I used to play violin, see 'cause at my school I scored like number one in the country on some IQ test and they kept telling me I should be moved up, or I was some kind of genius or something. So my 'rents made me take all these musical instruments….I was really good with violin…they said I was some master or something. But I gave it up. Quit school too." He shrugged. Sephiroth eyed him. He could hardly believe it, but he wasn't really sure what Cloud meant by half of what he said. (AN: That happened to me, I got like the best scores on some stupid IQ test, and they made me take a PSAT test. Ah, the good old days….)

Cloud shrugged and smiled blissfully. "Then hormones hit and I became an idiot." He laughed. "Are you tired? Do you wanna take the futon?" he asked, jerking his hand around to point to his room. Sephiroth kept his eyes on his face. "No, but I don't want the futon tonight. You take it." Cloud looked back to his eyes. "No, you're my guest, I insist." He objected. Sephiroth shook his head no. Suddenly he sat on the floor and Cloud watched as he crossed his legs and took some deep breaths. Then he exhaled and with an odd ripping noise the two leather wings slid from Sephiroth's back emerging in an almost menacing way.

He took another deep breath before opening his eyes and looking up at Cloud as if nothing had just happened. He flinched before he stood, and he stumbled slightly. Cloud looked concerned, but he only held up his hand to discourage any questions. With a ruffled look Cloud shut his open mouth. "Fine. I'll sleep with you." Sephiroth besieged, albeit smugly. He knew it would make Cloud nervous. He could see it in his face.

The thin features in Cloud's face contorted for a moment, and then he grinned. "Fine. Let's sleep together. But if you try anything, because I know it's hard to resist, I'll throw you out on your fine ass." Sephiroth returned his grin. "Great. Wouldn't try it anyways, kirin-ashi." He walked around Cloud as his face flushed and he prepared a come-back that Sephiroth would never hear.

The bag from the shopping escapade was in the hallway by the door. Sephiroth grabbed them and made his way to Cloud's room. Since he hadn't really bought a pair of pajamas, he decided to sleep in just the baggy black cargo pants, which were a comfortable cotton material. He slipped out of his supplied outfit and into the pants. He eyed the futon. The idea of being that close to Cloud…especially at night…something in him lurched and his heart skipped a beat or two.

He again remembered his feelings of definition at Cloud's somewhat premonition, and having the deeper sense confirming Cloud was as he said; a prince. Of what where or how, he had no idea, but it just felt like something concrete in the currently liquid world of his. He clung to it, and dug in the pockets of the Cloud's pants. He found the card he had been given by the attractive man, Rufus his name had been, right? Oh well. It didn't matter.

He placed it in the pocket half-way down the leg of his new pants. It felt like an odd weight against his leg; ominous almost. Ignoring it for now he poked his head back out Cloud's door. The boy was on the couch, leg peeking out over the arm. The odd plastic box was on, and pictures and noises illuminated the otherwise quiet apartment. He found it fascinating for only a moment before he strode jubilantly into the darkly-lit room and stood by the edge of the couch.

Cloud didn't look up at him. He was lying on half of the couch horizontally with one leg hanging off the edge and placed on the floor, and the other thrown over the couch. He looked horribly comfortable the way he was with his hair falling almost sneakily from the prearranged spikes and into his face. His eyes were dulled slightly. "Do you have TV where you come from?" he asks voice monotonous. "Is that what it's called?" Sephiroth replied as way of answering. Cloud smiled. "Sit." He motioned to the small empty space left on the couch. Sephiroth did sit, although he remained straight-backed and rigid. Cloud didn't look back at him. He turned his head and curved his back so he was almost upside down off the couch. Sephiroth wanted to let him lay his head in his lap.

Where the idea and desire came from was unknown to him, but he had it all the same. "I think I'm going to do the modeling." He said it into the noise of the commercial for Pocky. Cloud didn't seem to acknowledge him. "Do you really want to? Or is it just because I told you we need the money?" Sephiroth remained silent. Cloud looked back up at him. Sephiroth's face was stone cold, which meant he wasn't going to talk.

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Cloud saw his profile in the dim light of the TV. "Rufus liked you." He stated. He mostly wanted to see his reaction. Sephiroth looked down to him. Cloud felt his breath get sucked away when Sephiroth's neon eyes burned into his. "Really?" he didn't really sound too surprised. "Yeah. I think if you were alone he would've jumped your bones." Cloud said it in an off-handed manner, but he saw Sephiroth bite his lip. He sighed. "You know. Oh come on, don't you know what sex is at least?" he demanded.

Sephiroth looked away and Cloud saw some colour on his cheeks. He grinned. 'How cute!' he thought to himself. "Yes. I know what that is." He looked uncomfortable. "Well, yeah, he definitely would've invited you to that." There was silence for a moment before Sephiroth asked a question. "Would you have done the same with him?" It was a perfect touché to Cloud's statement. He smiled at the man in a warm way.

It may have seemed a passive statement, but a trace of what sounded like jealously was in his voice, and he looked a little too anxious to hear the answer. (AN: Aww…) Cloud sat up fast and with a grace only attained from keeping this position and getting out of it many times before, he leaned forward and placed his head on Sephiroth's shoulder. 'He smells so freakin' good!' Cloud thought as he absorbed the comfort Sephiroth brought him and reveled in the fact he'd never felt this…well-fit with anyone else before, male or female. Plus his very, very attractive chest and bare skin, which was just as perfectly pale as the rest of him, gleamed brilliantly in the light. Cloud wanted to drool.

Sephiroth was tense; Cloud felt it, so he giggled sneakily and pushed himself up to give him a slight peck on his pale cheek. He knew that would melt him, and it did, as Cloud pulled away his cheeks flared up and he un-tensed suddenly like warm rubber. Cloud liked the way his skin tasted. "Sorry, but I like that you're jealous." Cloud explained, leaning back against his shoulder. "I'm not jealous." He stated, but it held no conviction. Cloud smiled secretly to himself. "Of course you aren't." he said back in a sleepy manner.

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Sephiroth let Cloud lean against him for at least an hour. When the time displayed in the bottom of the screen read midnight he moved slightly breaking a very comfortable, very warm feeling that had coated the dim living room and he realised Cloud had fallen asleep.

His kiss still burned on his cheek and he had a very strong urge to return the kiss, but much harder and on his very soft lips which were parted slightly in his sleep. Sephiroth watched him; he couldn't resist. When he was relaxed and dropped all hyper attitudes and just calmed Sephiroth could find nothing more beautiful then him at that moment. He looked like royalty and Sephiroth knew without any doubt at that moment that he was right and Cloud had to be some kind of prince. How else could he be so…angelic?

Cloud moaned slightly and tried to roll over. He obviously thought he was in his bed, and as he rolled he tipped himself over. Sephiroth saw it all as if in slow motion, and he lunged for Cloud. He managed to fall off as well, but Cloud's head fell into his stomach as he hit the ground, so he had no problem with falling roughly on his back.

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Cloud awoke at that moment with a cry of: "It is _too_ green!" and realised in the same moment his head and his body was on top of a very sexy, partially naked Sephiroth. "What the-!" and he tried to sit up, but his legs, still on the couch, tripped him up and tangled.

He flipped over and this time his forehead hit Sephiroth's neck. He made a choking noise, and wrapped his arms around Cloud's back, trying to push him up so he wouldn't choke. A splash of blonde hair fell onto his chin. The smell of it was nice and clean, plagued slightly by the smell of wind from being outside.

Instead of pushing him up he ended up only pulled down tighter onto him. They both froze in that moment. Cloud was sprawled onto him, legs spread on either side, his waist pulled very firmly against him, his upper body flush against Sephiroth's own. His skin was baby-soft. Cloud wanted to taste the rest of him and trail his tongue up Sephiroth's chest, then bite his neck as hard as he could- 'Stop!' he yelled at himself.

He felt the silver-haired man take a deep breath. He used his arms to push himself up. He looked into the neon orbs he adored so much. "Did I fall asleep?" he asked, innocently. Sephiroth's eyes were wide and looked contained by some greater will Cloud wished he wouldn't hold back on. He nodded. "Get off me." He almost gasped out. "You need to let go of me first." Cloud pointed out, trying very hard not to get swept away by the nice feeling of Sephiroth beneath him. Once again he felt how perfectly they fit.

He tried to think of how nicely they would fit in other ways….'Stop being so dirty!' his head screamed at him. He grinned, confusing Sephiroth and wormed his body around. He heard the sharp intake of breath beneath him and he knew he was having a positive effect. 'Perfect…' he shook his head again, only bewildering Sephiroth even more.

Cloud brought to mind the nice taste of his skin…again. "I want to go to bed." Sephiroth mumbled. Cloud looked back down to him, and was momentarily taken away by the wonderful way his hair made a silver curtain around his head, like some kind of halo and with his head tilted to the side, he was just too perfect. Cloud smiled mischievously and enjoyed the slight red tint in his cheeks and the red of his ears. "You're still going to have to let me go." He pointed out.

Sephiroth let his arms fall away from Cloud's back, and Cloud untangled their legs with some regret in his motions. He stood and brushed himself off. "Shall we go?" he asked, holding out his hand for Sephiroth. He stood without use of it. He walked around Cloud and back to his room. Nice ass… 'Focus!' he shook his head once more and followed Sephiroth obediently to his bedroom.

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Cloud woke up normally the next morning. The only difference was the fact that he was curled into Sephiroth's arms in a small ball like a child in the safety of their mother's arms. His eyes opened slowly, and his mouth dropped open. He almost jerked back before the look of contented peace on the silver angel's face stopped him dead. He froze and gaped at him. 'I haven't slept so good in a really long time…' Nightmares of the destruction of some kind of sacred land always plagued his sleep. He knew he lived there at some point in time, but all he ever saw were demons in an ivory city, plundering houses, even raping some women.

He almost never actually slept. But in Sephiroth's arms he'd dreamt of a field of bright flowers and himself in odd robes, the same from his earlier vision, and the snake bracelet actually coming to life and crawling up his arms. He didn't have his wings, but he could still feel the odd sensation as if they were jutting from his back.

Sephiroth's eyes opened suddenly as if he was shocked awake. Cloud started as his eyes met his own. They were still neon green, but a sort of crimson film seemed to coat them. Cloud could only think of blood. He was terrified. Sephiroth's eyes roved his face. "You're alive…" he muttered. Cloud still gazed up at him in fear. He looked positively murderous.

Sephiroth jerked oddly and then he buried his head in Cloud's cowering shoulder. Cloud was tense and nervous, not used to a crimson and neon green eyed man giving him a look of a killer, but as he felt Sephiroth's terror he immediately relaxed and wrapped his arms around the gasping man. "It's okay…" he whispered into his hair, having an oddly over-powering desire in him to comfort him in any way possible.

Sephiroth pulled away and looked into his eyes, a sort of odd gleaming look in his neon orbs. "What?" he asked, looking absolutely confounded. Cloud was uncomfortable. Had he said something odd? "I just said it's okay. Did I offend you?" he asked, looking away form his now glowing eyes.

There was silence for a very long time. Cloud looked back to him finally still slightly in the circle of his arms. His eyes were normal and he was contemplating Cloud as if trying to figure him out. "Bad dream?" Cloud asked, trying to break the silence. Sephiroth's face darkened. "I dreamt about my homeland." Cloud perked up, but he said no more. "And?" he asked, wanting him to continue.

Sephiroth dropped him from his arms and stood swiftly. "I don't remember." He answered. "You're a really bad liar." Cloud said, making a "humph-ing" noise. Sephiroth pulled his clothes bag towards him and sat down on the ground. "What are we doing today?" he asked. "Nice changing of the subject. And nothing really." Cloud sat up, missing the warmth of his arms. His bare skin had felt so heavenly against his bare cheek.

He pulled out a tight pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Cloud brightened. "Wait! I know something that would look so freakin' awesome with that!" he cried, and before Sephiroth could protest, Cloud was up and running for his closet. He threw open the door and dug around a bit. He came up with a yellow long-sleeved shirt. The bottom part of the sleeves, where the wrist would be, had been cut off and replaced with black netted material. All Cloud's idea, of course. The netting acted as a glove as well, slipping over the hands and had holes for the fingers.

"No." Sephiroth stated glaring at Cloud. "Oh come on, let me decorate you!" Cloud said, excitedly. "I'll give you another kiss…" he winked at him and Sephiroth's ears lit up, just like Cloud had known they would. Suddenly he possessed a sneaky look that scared Cloud. His wings flapped closed twice before he agreed. "Do your worst, but I want my kiss." He snatched the shirt from Cloud and put it on slipping the t-shirt over it. Cloud bit his lip, thinking hard. Then it came to him. "Sephie-san gets a make-over…" he trailed off teasing him.

Sephiroth shrugged passively. "I just want my kiss." He stated. "After you've finished, of course." He added. Cloud was suspicious, but much too happy to actually care. He flitted over to his stereo and picked a CD. A personal favorite of his, by GLAY (AN: Another recent obsession….) The Frustrated. He grabbed a flowered bag off his dresser as HIGH COMMUNICATION blared from the speakers. Sephiroth cast him a weird look, but Cloud only laughed, barely heard over the music, and grabbed his hand, dragging him to the bathroom.

Some grumbling and a few of Cloud's squeals later, Sephiroth emerged from Cloud's bathroom with his hair braided and pulled back. (AN: Don't lie, you know you've always wanted to braid it!) He was still slightly frustrated, Cloud could tell. From the days when Cloud had wanted to become a drag queen porn star he'd used all his make-up tricks. (AN: My almost boyfriends goal for his career last week…)

The only truly noticeable change was the eye shadow and eyeliner. The eyeliner was a thick black and the eye shadow was a bright yellow liquid-like substance. The mascara didn't help. Cloud followed him and danced happily to BEAUTIFUL DREAMER and sung to the pretty melody and wonder that is GLAY. (AN: OMFG I'm like drooling all over my keyboard….) He stopped and laughed, before beginning to dance again in an upbeat manner.

He stopped and eyed Sephiroth. "Okay, with the wings you look like a Goth's wet dream." He giggled. Sephiroth took that moment to grin maniacally. The song wound down and as the string orchestra that ended the song came on, Cloud took a step back. "What?" he asked suspiciously. "My kiss. You have to give me one kiss." Cloud gulped. Why it bothered him so much he didn't know. But Sephiroth's satisfaction showed he was very aware of how bothered he was.

His eyes narrowed. "Don't play this game with me." He whispered before he bent down on his knees. (AN: I know exactly what you're thinking, especially you Devo!) "You never said where." He whispered again before he grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up. His six-pack stomach, lean and very sexy poked out at Cloud. He leaned forward and right below his navel he planted one very sensuous, very soft kiss onto Sephiroth's lower navel. (AN: Lucky bitch….)

Cloud let his lips linger for a moment too long, then lapped the same part with his tongue. Sephiroth's slightly sweaty skin was on his lips and in his mouth now. 'Perfect…' he thought to himself, closing his eyes and treasuring the taste. Sephiroth hadn't breathed and he gasped as Cloud's tongue touched his skin. Cloud dropped his shirt and stood up. He looked to Sephiroth. The man looked euphoric. And to think, Cloud hadn't even used half the seduction tricks he actually knew. Sephiroth was either one big bundle of hormones or a virgin.

Since he fell out of the sky, Cloud decided on the latter. 'Interesting…' he thought to himself. Sephiroth finally opened his eyes and the fire burning in them was so ferocious, Cloud almost had to take a step back. He looked like a wild animal. Cloud saw some inner battle being fought inside Sephiroth, and was dismayed to see resistance win. "I'm going to call Rufus." He said breathlessly.

Cloud watched the ground, not able to stop his stab of jealousy. So thinking of Rufus was what stopped him from whipping Cloud into his arms and jumping him. Maybe Sephiroth had really liked Rufus. After all, he had been awfully attractive…and rich and obviously really sexy…Cloud shook his head. He wouldn't beat himself up about it. It didn't matter. He was perfectly proud of how he looked and acted. He wasn't ashamed of himself in any way.

Cloud let Sephiroth pass him and move down the stairs and to the living room. His phone was placed upside down and off the hook on the coffee table in front of the TV. Cloud followed him; still telling himself it didn't matter. He dialed the number for Sephiroth and marched dejectedly back to his room to shower and get dressed. The last thing he heard was: "Yes, you gave me this number in case I wanted to model for you and I've thought about it…"

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Trying not to kiss the hell out of Cloud had been the hardest thing Sephiroth had ever had to do. Well, that he could remember. He'd thought being sneaky and forcing Cloud to acknowledge that he was flustered as well would be good payback. But of course Cloud had pulled the wool over his less-experienced eyes and won out again. Sephiroth hated how easily Cloud tricked him when it came to that kind of thing.

As he moved around him he recalled that morning, when, just for a moment, in his peak of wanting to comfort Sephiroth he had, obviously unknowingly, spoken a different language. It had been the language of his home. He'd recognised it from his dream, which had been oddly descriptive….

He'd been dressed in a type of warriors' clothes, he'd known this somehow without being told as often happens in dreams, it was a pair of baggy dark blue pants with a silver top that ended just below his breast. Dark black boots that seemed as tighter then the pants ended just above his ankle. His stomach was bare and a large tattoo of a serpent circling a sun wound from his navel to just below his breastbone. It reminded him of something alive, as alive as he himself was. Daggers decorated his sides, long things, maybe a type of throwing dagger. Memories had flooded to him in that dream, like acid seeping thorough his brain it washed away any feeling of comfort he'd felt as he'd slipped into a sort of trance he'd dubbed as sleep.

His eyes stung as he seemed to watch himself like a murky reflection just outside of view. He focused again on his other self in the odd fantasy clothes. He watched as Cloud emerged from around the other side of the pillar that Sephiroth was leaning against. As his flittering reflection watched, Cloud, dressed in an odd sort of dress thing, except it was like a jacket and although it swished around his ankles, the top was left open to expose the tan flesh that glinted in the film-like sunlight in the courtyard.

The serpent arm band caught his attention this time, glinting an amber-gold in the slightly demented sunlight. It was like watching everything through saran-wrap. Sephiroth's wings were shrunken, but the odd thing about the Cloud in his dream, which was what made him doubt it was Cloud at all, had wings as well. His were feathered and seemed to constantly change colours. The feathers did at least. It was much like sunlight through clouds; slowly creeping up, only to recede again like a reluctant wave.

He saw different shades of blue, from deep, deep lapis to an almost sky blue. And it was only at the base it changed. The tips stayed a constant black for some odd reason. Closing his reflection's mouth he watched his warrior self say something to Cloud. It came like through a static and in the language Cloud had unknowingly spoken before. It seemed to fade in and out, but from the looks and reactions Sephiroth judged it was Cloud attempting to get a playful rise from his warrior self and receiving Sephiroth's stone-coldness in return.

He seemed to deflate after a minute. They were in a courtyard kind of thing, the palace, he assumed, all around them, with the ivory pillars and a white fountain in the centre. Again, the repetitive serpent was apparent on the fountain, carved into it in a large circle. Sephiroth watched his other self remove himself from the pillar and face Cloud. The gist of it seemed frustrated, and Cloud looked stricken. Sephiroth wished, whatever it had been, he could take back what his other self was saying. He looked like he was hurting Cloud.

He reached out a hand and said weakly: "No…" But his plea went unheard. Then his warrior self stalked off. Cloud bent his head. He stayed in that defeated position for a few moments, but then his head shot up. He had a tear streaming down his face, and he looked heart-broken. He took off like that, and now faint sobs reached Sephiroth's ears. He found himself pursuing the other Cloud.

He ran after him, his own feet making no noise on the marble interior of the palace. The surroundings stayed murky still, like looking through pond-water. Only Cloud's running form was in his view, so he followed it faithfully. He threw open a door and slammed it shut behind him. Sephiroth watched the door, and when he saw his warrior self clacking down the hallway he and Cloud had just come from he saw the look of hurt on his opposite face and knew something about this was very wrong. He had felt the love coming from Cloud to his warrior self in the courtyard, but his other self had seemed closed off completely.

Why, he still didn't know. His other self carefully twisted the doorknob, and pushed the door open slightly. When he looked in the room he suddenly threw the door open and Cloud lying sprawled on a large canopy bed more majestic then the palace itself sobbing made him feel his own heart breaking. He rushed forward, but like a ghost, his other self passed right through him and to the edge of the bed. He saw his warrior self gather Cloud up in his arms and pull him onto his lap.

And suddenly the static barrier around this memory lifted and he could hear properly again. It was easy for him to translate the tangent his other self was raging on: "Don't cry over me. I don't deserve such sacrificial tears. Even though it can never be, even though our very classes and life-styles forbid it, the reason I never speak to you as warmly as you do, the reason I can't be in front of you for longer then a few minutes is because if I had to find words to answer your own warmth I would spill fire. And fire burns as easily as it spreads. The reason I can't stand before you, is because lurking in the shadows I find it so much easier to worship every little thing you do. And not just because you're destined to rule me, but because you are the most perfect thing and I have loved you since we first met. You were the first one to tell me I wasn't just your religious warrior protector, but a friend. You were the first one to hold out your hand in something other then fear. I owe you my life. And I give it to you, I pass this worthless little gift, so simple my life, to you and pray it will let you see how wonderful and precious you are to me."

His rant ended and Cloud sniffled in his innocent little way. He wiped his eyes and looked up to Sephiroth. He saw his warrior self was smiling at the little prince curled on his lap. Cloud made a squealing noise and threw himself at his other self. He saw their lips meet, and knew what was happening from then on in.

The memory faded, and like a movie fade-to-black cliché he found another scene rushing into his slightly scattered mind. He and Cloud were in the throne room. Once again, knowledge he gained from his dream only.

This time, Cloud was standing next to a smug-looking woman. She made him sick to look at, and suddenly he would've rather not be seeing this. He knew it would end in tears. A man who looked like Cloud, if not older and more aged sat up on the throne looking down on Cloud and the woman.

Sephiroth saw his warrior self brought in just then. He was in chains. He looked horribly different. Scars, burns and welts coated his bare chest and the chains pulled his arms back and his legs were cuffed allowing him to move, but not without the great weight. His hair had been sliced off and was now blood-coated, stained with other things and instead of being nicely brushed and flowing freely was tangled and massed on top of his head in a mussed kind of way.

He looked like shit, putting it plainly. And in a lot of pain. He saw his heavy and broken head look up to Cloud who looked stonily down on him. The woman only held his arm looking on Sephiroth with a very evil grin. She was enjoying his ultimate suffering. He knew hatred and betrayal was being shot at Cloud. He still looked unaffected.

The Sephiroth in chains crumbled and fell and the (who he assumed was king) man on the throne gave a slashing motion with his arm. He looked positively murderous. A man approached Sephiroth with a large menacing sword. But it was as the sword swung down on his head the woman screamed, and suddenly Cloud was behind the man with the sword. The obvious executioner was frozen in mid-strike. Cloud had stabbed him. He had a sword still embedded smoothly in the man's back. He crumpled around the sword and Cloud pulled it out.

It was his sword. He'd given it to Cloud. Sephiroth grasped his head as he saw Cloud grab his broken self from the ground and slice the too-thick chains. He was sure the small, thin sword would break, but it slashed through them like butter. He was free and grabbing Cloud and spreading battered wings and taking off. There were shouts, but Sephiroth saw his warrior self fly through the glass ceiling and into a bright blue sky with a nervous prince, and his one-and-only true love in his arms….something was wrong again. He felt it from Cloud….

He'd woken up then, but the dream had let loose a leak in the dam blocking his memories. Small things were coming back to him. He almost smiled to himself. It was small, but like the saran-wrapped sunlight in his dream that had later gotten brighter; it was only getting brighter….

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AN2: EEEEEEEEKKK! All my reviewers! I love you all to bits and pieces! Thank you soooooooooooo much for gracing me with your nice reviews! I thought there weren't enough truly good Sephie/Cloud fics, so you know. I tried REALLY hard on this fic. Basically, no flames please. Thanks. Haven't gotten any yet for this fic, but have for others', and it's always some dumbass who only spouts crap like: "You can't writer good. Me go re66ad story that9's bettar" you know? Like, give me some criticism at least. Oh well. Oh yah, in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM DO I NOW OR EVER OWN ANYTHING FF 7, ITS ALL SOME OTHER LUCKY, RICH, PERSON'S IDEAS. Oh yes, and terribly sorry if Cloud seems really OOC in this, but I kinda wanted to go with he's the light to Sephiroth's dark…yeah, that. And sorry, at the end I kinda came in weak. Sorta tired when writing that. Kay. Now that that's over with. Thanks billions and billions to these people:

Arkadia, Marikfan1, SolitareAikanaro, Xelena, Emey, Oso, Darkmaster2, Lady Shala, Bennoda4evr, RuByMoOn17

Nirina Illusier: I am in love with you. Yes, you got the songs! wOOt, and if that wasn't cool enough, you told me how to say my phrases! These are my favourite kinds too. Just gotta love the boy-love baby, yeah!

Devo: der. Yer the whole reason I write this thing. Luv ya sexy!

Matsuda-san: (cool name) yer review was sooooo cuuute! And you got the songs too! Skittles for EVERYONE!

BoB's Angel 667: Tee-hee! "Bring out yer dead!" "I'm not dead!" "Says he's not dead?" "Don't listen to him!" Monty Python is why comedy makes me laugh…..

(Any questions, give me a review, happy to answer! No flames please!)

Imagine all the people living life in peace….

-Kurai-Tenshi of Doom


	4. Chapter 4

Catch Your Shadow

Chapter Four

AN: Howdy! Finally I've started this! I hope it doesn't take long to finish, cuz I have those random reviews every once in awhile saying: "Update or I'll kill you!" Maybe not so dramatic, but you get the idea. I also needed some time to think on this fic, cuz I got a review that kinda made me go: "Oh yeah, duh!" and I will say it now: Sephie and Cloud are VERY OOC. I'm soooooooooooo sorry for this, but I wrote it how it felt. I didn't think it through and I apologise, which is why I'm thinking of finishing it as it is, or just starting to revise it now. But it would go under COMPLETE reconstruction. Like new twists and more of Sephie being colder. So I suppose if you can bear with this un-fixed little story for just a bit longer I promise to go all-out and give you all a better done story, in which everyone acts like everyone! Except Cloud probably won't be so annoying….oh well. Sorry bout that and all the excessive AN's in the middle. I'll try and cut those down, but I just get so enthusiastic…; Well, I'm done for now…or till the next AN at the end lol. See you at the bottom I hope!

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(Cloud's POV) (AN: Am going to do this now to clarify it a bit more….)

Cloud took his shower fast and as he emerged, freshly dressed, he met Sephiroth sitting on his couch. "How'd it go?" he asked, swinging onto the couch and rubbing his hair diligently with his towel. He would have to brush his spikes a bit, his hair was still flat. Sephiroth didn't look at him. He remained quiet.

"I'm supposed to go in this afternoon. He'd said he'd been thinking about me." Cloud momentarily faltered in wiping down his hair, a slight pain jumping in his heart. He reprimanded himself and continued with a slight smile, even if he felt like frowning. "Well that's good. It sounds like he really likes you." There was no need to express who "he" was. They both knew. There was a heavy silence.

"Well, have you remembered anything? After all you did kinda scare me this morning." Cloud placed the towel on his lap. "I know who I am, but it's coming back slowly." Cloud tensed and this time it was noticeable. As soon as Sephiroth figured out who he was he might leave. And this made Cloud's heart hurt again. "Oh." was all he said.

"I'm…not of this…world." Cloud let this roll over him. It sounded like he had difficulty stating it. "Well that explains it." Cloud chuckled to himself. "Explains what?" Sephiroth asked, voice sounding hollow. "Well, you do have wings and no one else in this world that I know of does. You're the only one. And you're far too perfect for this world. We're all just a bunch of screw-ups here." He shook his head. "You don't seem like a…screw-up." he stumbled over the slight slang. Cloud grinned. "Why, I'm the biggest screw-up of them all." He spread his arms wide and motioned to himself. Sephiroth looked away from him.

"There are a few hours until I have to go for the meeting." Cloud dropped his arms and stood. He eyed Sephiroth. There was something off about him today. He had at least looked at Cloud earlier, now he stared into space critically, as if analysing the space in front of him. "Take a shower, you smell. I'll cook something." Sephiroth stood and swiftly made his way to the bathroom. Cloud heard the water and realised the man learned fast.

Sighing Cloud stood and feeling slightly upset with the silver-haired angel he set off to cook something passable as food.

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(Sephiroth's POV)

Sephiroth felt himself changing inside. Not in a drastic way, but now that his gate of memories had been opened he felt himself becoming the warrior in his dreams and images. A hard-shell was placed on his emotions. He couldn't look at the blonde something in him told him it was improper.

Now that he knew Cloud was his prince he could never treat him the same. But somehow this new visage felt familiar; as if he had always been like this. There was a slight jar of pain in his chest and his hand rubbed the pained area. He had almost forgotten about the unnamable scratch. Cloud hadn't looked at it since the bandages had been removed only the next morning just before his shower, but now he had a suspicion it would not be bothering him anymore. In the shower he eyed his chest and saw that it was gone. There was only a fading red streak where the slash had once been. He didn't question his sudden amazing healing abilities; he attributed it to his regaining of memories, and therefore powers.

Sighing he grew his wings large enough to be able to wrap them around himself and gently rub them with soap. He wanted to look good in front of his prince….

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(Cloud's POV)

Cloud felt listless the whole afternoon. He waited for Sephiroth to emerge from the shower and noticed how sharp and reclusive his face had become and how cold his almost-neon eyes appeared. Something had changed in him overnight. Cloud wanted desperately to scream at him to wake up and be the almost-fun silver-haired beauty he'd been before, but he kept all his angry protests inside. This didn't help.

As they both ate in silence, Cloud gazed at him, but he never acknowledged he was even there. Cloud's snowball of anger slowly became a boulder. Cloud ignored him and rose to go to his room and attempt to find his paints and work again on his ceiling-becoming-wall-mural. The cascading colours on the ceiling of his room were slowly inching down towards his walls, so he'd decided to do those as well. Plus it would help his anger.

He didn't look back to Sephiroth, but left his room door open a crack, even though he plugged his CD player in with the music blaring so harsh his eardrums were almost bleeding. He used one of his stools to reach the top of the wall, but eventually he worked his way down. The harsh guitar and screaming voice of Pierrot helped him become incited enough to slip off into his left brain enough that he lost track of time again.

It was the eerie feeling you only get when you're vividly aware you're alone that woke him up to realise Sephiroth was gone. He ripped his headphones off and chucked the CD player onto his futon, not looking to see if it broke and not bothering to even stop it. He stormed from the room, still worked up and hoping the silver-haired man was there so he could scream at him as loud as possible and shake him into waking up and being ever-so-slightly human again. But he was gone.

Cloud cursed and grabbed a tattered hoodie off of his floor, slipping it on as he bolted after the man. It was about forty minutes until his meeting, which means he had to have left no more then ten minutes ago. The idiot had just walked off into the middle of Tokyo, not knowing any directions and completely unarmed, without any money for a cab, even if he knew how to get one to stop for him.

"_Baka_!" Cloud spat as he clanged down his steps and out into the bright busy streets.

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(Sephiroth's POV)

In fact, getting to the main Midgar building was rather easy. All he had to do was ask two people for directions and slightly in awe and intimidated fright of his now critical gaze they pointed meekly in the right directions. He was only glad some odd instinct in him had adapted him to this language. Otherwise he would never have been able to leave the moody artist. And after how cold Cloud had been this morning, Sephiroth wasn't sure he really wanted to go back.

He felt he needed to be near Cloud, but then again, being near him made him anxious and uneasy in ways he didn't want to contemplate because all his previous training told him those feelings were bad. It seemed it was destructive for them both. But how to get away from him? He didn't want to, it was the last thing he wanted to do, but for both of them it seemed like the right thing. This bothered him even as he walked into the building with the huge iridescent sign proclaiming: "MIDGAR FASHIONS". He showed a woman at the reception desk the card and she motioned for him to take one of the elevators to her side labeled "Restricted".

It took him only moments to work out the elevator before he found the button for the seventy-ninth floor and he was off. His stomach jolted unpleasantly at this new sensation, but it soon adapted as the elevator beeped and the shining metal doors hissed open efficiently.

It was a wide pure white room. No decorations, just windows instead of walls from floor to the high ceiling. There was a black desk that stood out starkly in the room with an attractive man sitting leisurely behind it. The thick leather boots purchased last night made a harsh thud on the white floor, but the man didn't acknowledge him until he was standing just before him.

There was another black door, almost tiny in comparison to the height of the ceiling and the windows, just behind the desk. The man had his feet propped up on the desk and was reading an X-rated magazine. His eyes peered over the magazine and when they focused on Sephiroth, they nearly bugged out. "Damn! So you're the new squeeze! Here for an interview?" Sephiroth glared him down letting the power of his eyes answer. "I called. He said show up. Here I am." The man with black hair behind the desk nodded. His hair was long and tied back in a tight ponytail. "Man of little words, but plenty of beauty. Watch yer ass in there literally." He advised sagely and nodding as if he knew this for a fact before he pushed a dark red button on his desk.

There was nothing else besides a notepad and a pencil on the desk. A buzzer sounded faintly from behind the door and the man motioned for Sephiroth to go in. Sephiroth moved around him, barely aware the man's eyes were trained on his rear the whole time. As the door closed with a foreboding shut he smirked lewdly and continued reading his magazine. If you call it "reading".

……

Rufus looked up from his papers. This office was rather different. It looked comfortable, but horribly uptight as well as if the comfort was only a disguise. Plush couches and a few armchairs littered through the room in strategic places, his desk was set on a slight platform above the rest of the room and centered right in front of a copy of windows in the white room, except these overlooked a seventy-foot drop into downtown Tokyo.

A smooth smile split onto his handsome face and he stood up fast, calling warm greetings and motioning for Sephiroth to come closer. He didn't, and Rufus frowned and grinned, instead moving closer to him. "Well, well you're even more perfect in the sunlight, did you know that? Well of course you did you've grown up with that face. And such a nice body, it fits perfectly. You look all proportionate as well. Exactly what I'm looking for. I don't think you even need to try out, but just to be fair…" he stopped in front of an unemotional Sephiroth and nervously looked away from his blizzard eyes.

He instead moved around him and towards the wall just on the other side of the door he had just come in through. There were two large double doors that matched the russet colour of the walls, so bright compared to the white room. They were large and obviously enunciated something even larger inside of them. "This is my closet in the sky. It's where I keep all my latest designs. I have a rather nice bathroom just yonder where you can change." He grinned over his shoulder flirtatiously at Sephiroth, who barely acknowledged it, and dramatically threw the doors open. Sephiroth didn't bother looking inside; a plan was forming in his head.

Maybe this man, seemingly so fond of his looks, could supply him with a place to stay. In return for his "modeling" of course. He disappeared for a few moments and when he finally reemerged, Sephiroth was in the same spot and position. He hadn't moved an inch. Rufus unconsciously shuddered. Although beautiful, it was an icy beauty. He seemed rather haunting as well. But that would work just fine. After all, he could always pose in the Goth-cosplay section that Midgar fashions ran. He was the perfect model, since he didn't seem the smiling type.

Rufus was still grinning as he stepped back in front of Sephiroth and presented him with the outfit. "Accustomed to these bits of clothing?" he asked, almost suggesting he help him change. Sephiroth didn't answer, only asked something in his deeply haunting melodious voice: "Can you give me a place to stay in return for my…services?" he seemed reluctant to say it, but Rufus' eyes widened. He could set him up in an amazing penthouse rent-free then have the sap work for nothing.

"'Course. But that'll count as your pay." He was lying of course; it all came standard pretty much. If you got hired by Midgar Fashions you were bigger then big and richer then rich in no time at all. But he didn't need to know that. He seemed to agree by the strict set of his jaw. "And you need to do everything I tell you as well." Rufus warned. Sephiroth met his eyes and Rufus became instantly dizzy. Such ice! "Hand me that." And he held out his arm.

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(Cloud's POV)

Cloud was still gasping as he emerged outside of the Midgar Fashions building. He had no idea how to get in, but he was lucky enough that Sephiroth was just emerging as Cloud contemplated this. He seemed to find Cloud with his eyes right away. Cloud shivered when he felt them gazing deep into him. Those eyes seemed so different from the bewildered ones' he had caught only a few days ago. How could he have changed like that?

Sephiroth stayed where he was, so Cloud approached him and as soon as he pulled his eyes away from Sephiroth's his anger flared as strong as ever. "Why did you leave like that? I would have brought you here!" Sephiroth didn't seem to acknowledge his anger and this only egged Cloud on. "Well what got shoved up your ass!" he pointed an accusing finger like some kind of arrow aiming right for him.

Sephiroth looked down to the point of the finger assailing him then back to Cloud and finally into his eyes. "I'm not staying with you anymore." Suddenly, the arrow Cloud had pointed at Sephiroth spun around and pierced him in the heart. He dropped his finger in shock and stuttered: "H-Huh?" Sephiroth closed his eyes slowly, seemed to take a deep breath and then took a step back. "Thank you for all your help." And he turned back around and walked back into the building.

Cloud stood aghast and dumbfounded for what felt like forever until his mind kicked in: 'Don't let him get away! He's the best thing that's ever happened to you and you're letting him walk away from you! Go get him!' And he stalked forward into the building. He saw Sephiroth moving just around the corner. He took off after him, for once loving his long legs for his speed. As he rounded the corner he saw Sephiroth spot him as the elevator door closed and Cloud was surprised to see Sephiroth's mask had dropped and his face was open. Cloud read it like a book. He looked, if anything, regretful and angry.

Cloud slid to a halt and watched Sephiroth as the door closed finally with a firm click. And then, for the first time in his life, Cloud Strife felt his heart shatter. He turned and walked out of the building with everyone in the lobby gaping at him. He stood outside on the steps he turned and eyed the elevator shafts that were built with the purpose so that as you rode up them you had an outside view of the city below. He focused on one shaft that went all the way to the top and the gray speck traveling up it. "I don't need you!" he screamed at it, "I don't ever want to see you again you bastard!" he watched the elevator until he could see it no longer. He let his head drop and he clenched his fists so tight his nails drew blood; he couldn't feel it, the roar of pain inside him was much too powerful. "Never come back…" he whispered before he turned back and headed for his apartment.

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(Cloud's POV)

It was almost two weeks before Cloud saw the first ad. It was small at first. Just a few posters or, he noticed someone reading it on the subway, a magazine ad. But he looked somehow, even more beautiful when dressed in their clothing. It was a fantasy line, so all of the clothes were rather outrageous, but of course he made it look less fantasy-driven as himself.

A man could not posses such beauty, or silver hair, not acquired from old age, it just was _not_ possible. But he did. How, it was unknown, and everyone seemed to puzzle it. Everyone wanted to know who he was. It was only one photo shoot; just one picture that made him instantly the talk of underground Tokyo.

It was almost as if, really, he wore nothing at all. He sat on some kind of nighttime sky canvas, rich azure and blinking stars all around him, illuminating his hair like the crescent moon he sat on. He hadn't tried to smile, or look a certain way. Cloud knew that kind of thing wasn't in him. He had merely looked himself, if not slightly sulky, and worn _that_ outfit, and had _that_ hair and _that _face and _that_ too-fair complexion. He was just amazing, but he hadn't tried.

His outfit consisted of…well, practically nothing and it made Cloud bristle. Too tight to not be his skin leather. It looked to be a one piece, but when you looked close enough you saw the divide between the pants and the top. It was long sleeve and the sleeves were actual fabric, and sheer almost netting that stretched into a thin layer over his hands and long fingers. Everything was black, only making him look more ethereal and as if he was lit with some kind of somber inner light that illuminated his passive face. There was absolutely no emotion in him. Boots, matching, looking as form-fitting and tight as the outfit that you almost weren't sure if it _was_ the outfit, or separate boots. But they were separate and available for purchase. As was the outfit.

But it didn't sell. He, however, did. Suddenly every top designer who had seen the ad or heard about the mysterious model wanted him. No one knew if he was real, or a computer image. The reason everyone thought he was a fake was mainly due to the most realistic, yet impossible feature that made the photo. His wings. Two small black wings matching the outfit in texture poking out from his back and folded to the side, so both were viewable from the side where the sharp tips curved upwards.

………

The next ad came only a few weeks later. Cloud was walking through the streets, late at night, for he had lost the ability to sleep for many reasons, one of them being the man he now was staring at on the side of the bus station, and the other involving his pained and itchy shoulder blades. He let himself gape for as long as he thought appropriate before he allowed himself anger ands self-hatred.

He had beaten the first photo. Now everyone would be in true doubt if he were real or not. He was standing _on_ the moon this time. Well, not the real moon, mind you, but a very realistic simulation, this time dressed in something that looked like some kind of flowing robe at first glance. It was in fact something like a robe, but it was pure white. He accompanied it bare-chested and in a pair of very tight, very short black leather shorts. They had painted designs up his bare legs, black swirls, sharp-edged, looking like tattoos, or some kind of ancient pattern inscribed by the gods on this obvious angel of the moon.

His beautiful hair was pulled back loosely, so some strands still fell around his bewitching eyes, which were closed in this shot, and golden thread and small flowers were tied into the many ribbons that were threaded through his silver mane. This time he wore another pair of boots, but they were chunky and decorated with many chains. His wings were much larger and spread wide on either side of him, casting shadows onto the "moon's" surface. Below the name of Midgar Fashions was written in long flowing letters: "_Moon Lover"_.

Cloud scoffed. For all he knew the man came from the moon. He turned away and felt like turning back around and spitting on the image before his CD playing loudly and avidly in his large headphones rang out the lyrics for one of his favourite songs. The chorus, somehow, just struck him in the heart. He let it flow over him, the picture and the song fitting in a kind of synchrony that literally took his mind into its left brain domination and his breath harshly from his lungs:

"_Boku no sugata ga miemasu ka?_

_Kono tozasareta sekai nara_

_Anata ni mo kono koe ga todoiteiru hazu_

(Can you see my silhouette?

If it's this closed off world

My voice should even reach you)

_Boku no kokoro ga miemasu ka?_

_Mou nido to hanasanai kara_

_Karappo no kono hako ni modoshite…_

(Can you see my heart?

Because I won't let go again

I'll return to my empty shell…)

(A/N: Bazillion points if you know the song! Oh and it's not mine…but I have the singer chained in my basement! ;) )

Cloud gasped as he came back due to a painful jolt in his shoulder blades. He hissed and dropped to the cement of the sidewalk sitting legs crossed Indian-style and pulling his checkered messenger bag off of his shoulders, beginning to scratch harshly, attempting to get his paint-scarred and to-the- nub-bitten fingernails to find a purchase and slay whatever had been bothering him so. But he didn't stop the pain or the eternal itch, so cursing in fluent English and German he stood and grabbed his bag, swinging it over his shoulder in a much-practiced move, taking off at break-neck speed for his apartment. His lonely apartment.

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(Cloud's POV)

The rest of that dreaded night was somewhat of a blur for Cloud. All he really remembered was when he ripped off his shirt, when he writhed on the floor in both pain and irritation and when he finally, in the wee hours of the morning, lost consciousness.

……

Cloud moaned as he let his eyes open in pained cracks. He felt…groggy, pained and…wet? He sat up fast and brilliant stars exploded before his eyes. He screamed in pain. His back! It was his back that hurt him like this! He never recalled hurting this much in his whole life. Blackness rose into his vision, threatening to take him into submission, but he fought hard biting his lip to let that pain be his anchor to stay conscious. After a few precarious moments he finally felt he could open his eyes and look down to see what coated him in sticky wetness. When he did he almost threw-up, but managed to hold it down. Blood. Blood coated his floor like paint. It was a large puddle around him and his whole lower side, half of his face and his hair were seeped in it. He shot to his feet, but vertigo took him down hard again. His fall brought him back into nothingness.

……

When he finally awoke again he was hungry. Then he remembered the blood and promptly emptied his stomach onto the tile of his kitchen where he'd collapsed. His back still pained him, but like his migraine it was in pulsing throbs. He could handle that, he decided as he stood using the counter as a support. He pulled himself up and tried not to vomit again, even though there wasn't anything in his stomach for him to throw-up. He really needed a drink, but first he had to figure out whose blood coated his floor and what he had done. He shivered suddenly as he realised the blood was warm. It was fresh.

He wanted desperately to rinse it from him, but he needed to make sure he hadn't killed anyone, or wasn't about to die himself. He peered into his living room. Well, no corpses. He tensed as he felt an odd gust of wind on his neck as if someone had moved. He tried to whip around in the chair and see, but he fell off and back into the large puddle of blood. He gagged, as if to throw-up, but nothing came out as he'd suspected. Instead he jumped up and back into the chair, small sobs escaping him.

He tried to get a hold of himself and figure out what had caused the movement. Suddenly he froze. A thought in his mind had suspected something, but he knew it was impossible. And yet, it nagged him. So as if to prove himself wrong he reached behind him and felt his back. Damp, dripping in blood, sore and when he reached his shoulder blades….skin, a scar of some kind that he'd never had before and….wait! What was this! No, this couldn't be…could it? But that was impossible!

He shot up, finding strength he hadn't had just moments ago and bolted to his bathroom, trailing blood on his carpet. He didn't care just now; all that mattered was his wall-to-wall mirror in his bathroom. He stumbled on the stairs and fell banging his knee, but he only jumped back up and was off. When he reached the bathroom he was slightly out of breath and hunched over, but he managed to take a deep breath and face the mirror. He screamed and toppled backwards into his bathtub. His head connected with the harsh side and he groaned before jumping out and facing the mirror again.

His breathing came in harsh gasps and his face was oddly pale as his shadowed eyes gazed at the protrusions not normal to his body. "Sephiroth what the hell have you done to me?" he whispered. Finally he couldn't look any longer and he turned away and faced his shower deep in thought. So. This meant he must be like Sephiroth. Which somewhat explained his power…speaking of which, he wondered if he still had it. Trying to convince himself not to, he let his eyes focus on the soap in its monotonous place in his plastic soap dish decorated with a dancing frog.

Then he did as he had always known to do in some kind of fabric in his genes: he wanted the soap in his hands so he let himself feel the soap, the texture, the very atoms of it became familiar to him and he flicked his head towards himself. The soap landed in his hands with a slight plop. He grinned. So that still worked at least.

He sighed. "I'll take a shower and see if I can't figure anything out afterwards…." He turned on the water and let his shower calm him slightly. As he stepped out and walked to his room naked he slipped on a pair of shorts and then moved back into his kitchen and contemplated how to clean it.

……..

Cloud sighed in satisfaction this time. After four hours of scrubbing his floor looked almost satisfactory. The blood was gone, although it still stained slightly. He had bleached his carpet to the best of his ability and the small trail he had left on his way to his bathroom was now faded. If he never looked at it again he would forget. The sudden gust on his neck made his face darken. Maybe not so easily forgotten.

He needed to find Sephiroth. But how? He didn't even know where he was living now. He flicked his head over towards the counter and the cleaning rag in his hand slid onto it. It had never been this easy to move things before. Maybe the…things on his back made it easier. There were scabs and scars where they poked from, already closed and healed if not sore, and yet he had lost so much blood and was still alive. He felt…odd though. His body somehow felt foreign. As if he'd been….no, that's just nonsense. Then he thought of what was on his back and he reconsidered. He needed to find Sephiroth.

…….

Cloud took a deep breath as he faced the fashion shoot entrance. He had heard from some friends, with some money, that they were shooting in the city outside today and he only hoped he would be here. He stepped from the dark alley he had hidden himself in and faced the shoot. There was hardly any security and he hoped he could get in looking like he did.

He'd combed his hair out straight, somehow, with many hours of gel and pure strength, and the ends were still the ice blue. He'd done his best to look like a model, but it had been hard. He had settled on some of Sephiroth's clothes from the store, a nice black top and sharp pants. He felt nice, pretty, model-ish, but who knew if he would pass the test? He strode forward confidently and as a small group of photographers entered he slipped in amongst them and found himself inside the gated area.

He tried not to cry out in happiness, but instead headed off to search for his silver angel. He blended in rather well he thought. He got a few strange looks, perhaps because of the rather suspicious lumps on his back that occasionally twitched, but he ignored the stares and tried to keep them very still, but it was hard. They always wanted to move.

He was able to find Rufus easily. And with Rufus was…Cloud gasped, he couldn't help it. Sephiroth was just so glorious in person. His hair was pulled back much in the way it had been in his last picture, he was dressed simply, black button-up shirt open all the way and blowing in the slight breeze. Black pants and chunky boots. (AN: Sorry my colours aren't very original…heh-heh…) Immediately his anger left him and he felt his wonder and lust for the man come back full power.

He was gaping, this he knew, but he could barely stop himself. If anything, Sephiroth looked no different, maybe more glamorous, but not much difference. And yet it was more like because he had gone so long without seeing him, almost four weeks, it seemed to have the same effect on him when he had first seen the man; as if he were deprived of him. And suddenly he found bright greenish-blue eyes staring back at him, wide in both surprise and doubt.

Cloud flushed a deep red and hid behind the wall of the building he had been peering around. But Sephiroth was coming over; he could feel the man's every move as if he were some kind of beacon in a dark room. So Cloud did the only probable thing hr could think of: he ran. Long legs propelling him like a bullet he took off fast in the direction he'd come.

The gate around where the shoot was held only kept the small park between two business offices' gated so he was able to slip through the guards on the opposite end to a few shouts, but no-one tried to stop him. He ran into another alley that led into the many twisting turns and back alleys of Tokyo. It was an amazing and intricate underworld of fire-escapes and dim sunlight.

His energy was still low from his huge, yet un-fatal blood loss so his running soon stopped and he leaned into the brick wall at his back. The _things_ on his back twitched so he pulled his shirt off and leaned off a bit so only his lower neck took the weight. They began moving immediately, glad for their freedom from the fabric prison. His gasps hurt his lungs, but his pained back from the imprisonment hurt more.

"You followed me." Cloud cried out and jumped, opening his closed eyes from his rest on the wall, and was greeted by those same bright eyes. He stopped breathing, although he desperately needed to. He still looked emotionless and this made Cloud's heart hurt, and he felt his anger coming back and all other thoughts of him disappear.

"What the hell are you doing to me!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger in the pale man's face. He must've chased Cloud the whole way, yet he looked perfectly in place down to his shirt. Cloud was slightly sweaty from his run and yet Sephiroth looked not even flushed. His perfection only annoyed Cloud more. "What do you mean? I've done nothing." "Yes you have, you've cast some kind of weird spell and made me all confused and now look!" And Cloud spun around and presented Sephiroth with his new features.

He thought he heard him gasp, but when he turned around his lips were drawn into a straight line, so Cloud thought he had maybe mistaken the noise. "Wings." "Yes damnit wings! They're feathered too! And rainbow! Not like those leather things you have! I demand you un-do whatever you've done to me immediately!" he forced himself into Sephiroth's face so the silver-haired man could see his flashing eyes and know how serious he was. "I've cast no spell. Your wings you've had all along it only took my arrival to awaken them." "What so I'm some kind of winged freak like you!" Cloud knew he had stepped over some kind of line, he saw it in Sephiroth's eyes which had suddenly become cold and steely.

"I'm sorry I've displeased you your Highness. As your humble servant and protector please forgive me." And he bowed low to the ground on one knee. "Are you mocking me?" Cloud cried, slightly thrown-off by how normal that gesture seemed to him especially coming from Sephiroth. "Why don't you remember yet? You're the prince of my, no our, homeland, and I am your humble guard and servant." His voice would have sounded sarcastic had it held any emotion.

"Damn it all, Sephiroth, get up." Cloud ran a hand through his now-straight hair, not used to its new feel. "You don't want to ruin your clothes." Cloud let the bite in his words be felt. Sephiroth stood, but kept his eyes lowered. "Stop it! I'm not royal, no matter what you think! You don't need to treat me like a prince." Sephiroth didn't listen. Cloud, angry again, grabbed his chin and forced his eyes to his own. His skin was so cold! His eyes were wide, as if surprised by his touch. He couldn't stop a little of his heart from showing in his eyes, and he hoped Sephiroth didn't acknowledge the love that was apparent there.

"Look at me. I won't have you bowing in front of me. Even if I am royal, we're on this world, not yours', so I command you treat me like you used to and don't act like such a prick." He smiled a little and hoped it would melt the ice in his glowing eyes. Sephiroth pulled his face away. "Why do you that? You always have, looking at me like that, you're only teasing me." his voice was low, barely a murmur. "I'm not teasing you…" Cloud trailed off. "You are! With that innocent face and that body…and those eyes that are just too clear and see right through me…if I don't get away from you, I'll do something we'll both regret." Cloud shivered. Was this a love confession? Did Sephiroth feel the same way Cloud felt all too strongly? He wasn't going to let him get away this time.

His hand rested on Sephiroth's cheek, for he'd turned his head to the side, his cheeks slightly red as if he were angry at himself for saying what he'd just said, and he said in a husky voice: "I regret nothing. Trust me, Sephie-kun." Sephiroth went rigid at his touch, but when he used the nickname he turned to look at Cloud, eyes wide again, this time in slight disbelief. "Sephie-kun?" he asked as his eyebrow rose. Cloud giggled. He nodded and looked into Sephiroth's eyes. They were clouded slightly in an emotion Cloud easily recognised. Lust. His eyes moved down to Cloud's slightly parted lips. Cloud felt his whole body begging him to do it, to kiss him senseless.

And much to his delight, Sephiroth, very carefully and frailly, placed his lips on Cloud's. As soon as they touched, Cloud felt sparks light in him. Sephiroth must've felt the same, for suddenly he grabbed Cloud's bare shoulders and thrust him against the brick wall behind them. Cloud gasped as his still sore shoulders hit the brick, and Sephiroth took this as an invitation. His tongue slid into Cloud's mouth with vigor, and he was soon almost drinking in the honeyed mouth.

Cloud closed his eyes and let Sephiroth take over. For a supposed virgin he sure was good at finding every place in Cloud's mouth that was perfectly sensitive. And boy, did he taste good. A nice sharp taste, very manly and strong. Cloud knew he could last the rest of his life tasting him. Sephiroth's hands moved from his shoulders, which he had been gripping very hard, and up to his hair which he ran his hand through once or twice before they moved back down and ran over his slightly smaller chest, making Cloud gasp as he found a reddened nub.

His back arched off the wall and his mouth parted from Sephiroth's for a moment before the older man growled and took it again. This time Cloud did his own bit of exploring and liked the moan and growls he got in return for stroking his tongue against Sephiroth's. Sephiroth's hands were on the move again, this time sliding down his slightly ticklish sides and resting on his small waist. They stroked his flat stomach and then dipped to his lower naval before resting again on his hips. He broke the kiss first and nibbled on Cloud's lower lip. Cloud gasped below him, every nerve in his body on fire and calling for more. His lips would be bruised something horrible, but he felt Sephiroth could rip his lip off with his teeth and he would still have more pleasure then pain.

Sephiroth was too breathing heavily, but his breaths were deeper and more measured. "You're…familiar to me." he whispered into Cloud's hair. Cloud felt a blush coming to his cheeks. "You too. Have we done this before? Did you rape me in my sleep? Cuz that would explain all the dreams…" Cloud trailed off and laid his head on Sephiroth's shoulder. He heard a slight rumble come from his chest and realised it was laughter. It was a short thing and barely left his lips, but Cloud treasured it all the same. "I must be the luckiest man alive." He whispered again. Cloud looked up to him, coming only to his neck, and cocked his head in a cute little manner. "_Doushite Sephie-kun_?"

Sephiroth let a small smile creep onto his lips and Cloud once again treasured his nice smile that lit his face in a very pleasant manner. "Because I have a little blonde angel bare-chested with an innocent little flushed face looking up at me, and I like his look of just being kissed breathless." Cloud blushed again and looked back down. His hands rested on Sephiroth's chest. "Yes well, you are the most amazing beautiful creature I've ever met." He mumbled into his chest. "Mhmm…" Sephiroth rumbled closing his eyes and treasuring just holding him close. "Sephie-kun?" "Uh-huh?" Sephiroth asked.

"What now?"

TBC!

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AN2: Well that feels like an ending doesn't it? I assure it isn't, I just think I may have written myself into a corner, so the next chapter may be a bit long coming, but good news! Am working on a very steamy lemon (in the shower ) and another TWO count em TWO fics involving Sephie-kun and little Cloud-chan, which I feel are a hell of a lot better then this, since they're not OOC or AU. Yay! Make sure to read!

So, a kiss scene! You've all been clamoring for one since the beginning and sorry it took so long, but here it is! Hope it's okay; I'm really self-conscious bout this stuff, since I don't think I'm all too good at it. But I'm trying a lemon, so wish me luck, nya? All rightie gotta go and make sure you have a yaoilicious day! ;)

Special Thankies and huggles!

DarkKatana, dogcollar (love the name, and thanks for the pointers!), one-winged-shinigami (thanks for the nice criticism love! Hope this chapter's a bit better!), Blue wings of bliss (I love you so much….), Sess-GalX50 (You're interesting, review me again!) Raditz12 (This chapter's for you, and sorry it took so long, but you were my favourite review!) and Faded Glitter (blunt and appreciated!). And everyone else!

NO FLAMES! PLEASE!

Love and peace,

-Kurai-Tenshi of Doom


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